The Royal Five

A publicity photo depicts the Royal Five as five slick cats with shiny processed conks adorning their heads like a second layer of skin. The lineup consisted of brothers: Billy & Ronnie Stokes, Reggie & Jerome Marshall, and Ben Durr. They formed at Simon Gratz High in 1963, and resided in the Broad & Erie section of North Philly. Phil Graber's P & L Records issued their debut single "The Boston Boo-Ga-Loo" b/w "Over The Rainbow," in 1966, it went unnoticed and a second recording "Nobody Else" b/w "Don't Stop," stayed shelved for more than 30 years. The sides finally appeared o...