The Los Angeles R&B vocal group scene of the 1950s was a fairly incestuous one -- members flitted from one aggregation to the next, often sporting several connections at the time. Young Jessie was a member of the Flairs, Hunters, and Coasters, as well as scoring a solo West Coast hit with his 1955 rocker "Mary Lou."
Obediah Jessie was a Los Angeles high-school classmate of Richard "Louie Louie" Berry. The two put together the Flairs and debuted on the Bihari Brothers' Flair label in 1953 with "She Wants to Rock." The Flairs recorded steadily for the firm, but solo status awai...