On December 9, 1981 Sonny Til of The Orioles died at the age of 56.
The Orioles and The Ravens are considered the pioneering R&B groups that set the standard for the thousands to come in the 1940’s 50’s and 60’s.
Sonny was born Earlington Tilghman on August 18, 1925 in Baltimore, Maryland.
After a stint in the war, Sonny was literally too shell shocked to do much of anything. He sat around his girlfriend’s house doing nothing for awhile.
He met his future bad members during amatuer night at The Avenue Cafe.
The Orioles hit right out of the gate with “It’s Too Soon too Know,” a haunting ballad that deals with the uncertainty of new love.
The song was recorded in their first batch of tunes recorded for their recording home, It’s A Natural, a label set up by Jubilee founder Jerry Blaine.
“It’s Too Soon too Know” sold 30,000 copies its first week and launched The Orioles music history as early pioneers of R&B music, which evolved into Rock & Roll music.
Their classics include “Secret Love” (below version is from 1962), which became a favorite of the Doo-Wop groups and the exceptional ballad “Crying in The Chapel.”
The Orioles were inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995
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