Charles Barksdale, bass singer for The Dells, dies at 84

The Dells were a 1950s doo-wop group that was able to transition to the smooth, stirring soul stylings of later musical eras.

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The Chicago-based R&B group The Dells entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 2004.

Charles Barksdale was the bass singer for The Dells, a 1950s doo-wop group that was able to transition to the smooth, stirring soul stylings of later musical eras. They enjoyed decades of touring, chart success, and eventually, entry into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Mr. Barksdale, who’d been in failing health, died Wednesday in a south suburb, according to Marshall Thompson of the Chi-Lites. He was 84.

“All the 1970s bass singers learned a lot from Charles Barksdale,” Thompson said. “We learned how to sing under them.”

“No matter what they [The Dells] sang, they had their own sound,” said George Daniels, owner of the iconic George’s Music Room record stores.

That sound was called “hypnotic” by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which praised their “astonishing” track record when it inducted the group in 2004: 46 R&B hits between 1956 and 1992.

“The Dells were based on their harmony and the way the songs were constructed,” said Richard Steele, who spun platters as a deejay before becoming a host on WBEZ. “You couldn’t really copy them.”

When Steele interviewed Mr. Barksdale, he recalled him saying “I’m a ‘needs’ singer” — as in, “whatever they need.”

“He could sing lead, to baritone, to bass,” said Carter Russell, who served as road manager and M.C. for the group.

Mr. Barksdale also had strong executive skills that enabled him to do strategic planning and business management for the group, Russell said. As a result, The Dells were able to focus on and enjoy performing, rather than taking day jobs to make ends meet. “They worked all the time,” he said. “They toured Europe, Japan.”

At their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honors, actor-director Robert Townsend, who’d grown up loving their music, said, “The Dells were my inspiration for the film ‘The Five Heartbeats.’”

“We lost a giant today,” Townsend said Wednesday on Facebook, calling Mr. Barksdale “the velvet bass voice of The Dells.”

“The Dells were my technical advisers on ‘The Five Heartbeats.’ The real stuff in the film about the music industry came from them and Chuck shared with me so honestly, the good, the bad and the ugly of the music business,” Townsend said. “He will be missed but ... I will celebrate his memory by listening to nothing but their hits today!”

Young Chuck grew up loving jazz and early R&B, according to Henry Barksdale, his younger brother. His five-man group formed as the El-Rays in 1952, around the time its members were students at Harvey’s Thornton Township High School.

Their 1956 song ”Oh What a Night,” went to No. 3 on the charts, “behind Elvis’ ‘Don’t Be Cruel’ at No. 2 and Fats Domino’s ‘Blueberry Hill’ on top,” according to The Dells’ website.

Other top songs included “The Love We Had Stays on My Mind,” “I Touched a Dream,” “Stay in My Corner,” and “Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation.” They also recorded “A Heart is a House for Love,” featured in Townsend’s 1991 film.

Sometimes known as The Mighty Dells, the members were also inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, which called them “The Grandfathers of R&B Harmony.”

“They paved the road for such groups as the Temptations, the Miracles, the Stylistics, and more recently, Boyz II Men, Jagged Edge and 112,” according to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

When their popularity began growing, The Dells toured with Dinah Washington. “She taught them modern harmonies,” Thompson said.

For a brief time, Mr. Barksdale sang with another 1950s doo-wop group, the Moonglows, who showcased one of his favorite singers: Marvin Gaye. They became friends, Henry Barksdale said.

The Dells played the Regal in Chicago, the Apollo in New York, the Royal in Baltimore and many other storied theaters that booked legendary African-American entertainers, Thompson said. At the Regal, his brother said, the Dells performed with comic Moms Mabley, Gene “Duke of Earl” Chandler, the Temptations and the Supremes.

Once, at a concert in Japan, they thought the somewhat reserved audience was cool to them. But after the show, “the fans came back to the dressing room and they had every [Dells] record and they wanted them to sign them,” Steele said. Mr. Barksdale “said that was an amazing experience.”

In addition to his brother Henry, Mr. Barksdale is survived by his wife, Barbara; daughter Rashonda; sons Charles Jr. and Ronald; brother Joseph; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. A public viewing is planned from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. King Drive. Music from The Dells will be playing, Henry Barksdale said. A wake is scheduled at 10 a.m. Monday until the start of an 11 a.m. service at the cultural center. Burial is private.

NEW YORK – Inductees Verne Allison, Charles Barksdale, John Carter, Marvin Curtis Junior and Michael McGill of The Dells backstage at the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame 19th Annual Induction Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel March 15, 2004 in New York City.

NEW YORK – Inductees Verne Allison, Charles Barksdale, John Carter, Marvin Curtis Junior and Michael McGill of The Dells backstage at the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame 19th Annual Induction Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel March 15, 2004 in New York City. | Evan Agostini/Getty Images

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