The Flares

The Flares, an American doo‑wop group formed in Los Angeles in 1951, emerged from the earlier ensemble The Debonaires. The original lineup included Arthur Lee Maye, Pete Fox, Obediah Jessie, Joe Winslow, and A.V. Odom, later augmented by Richard Berry and Cornell Gunter. Their first recording, "I Had a Love", appeared on Recorded In Hollywood in 1953 before they signed with Flair Records, a subsidiary of Modern Records. The group’s breakthrough came with the 1961 single "Foot Stompin', Pt. 1", which peaked at number twenty on the Black Singles chart and number twenty-five on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1963, The Flares released the album Encore of Foot Stompin' Hits and recorded under labels such as Felsted, Loma, and ABC‑Paramount. They collaborated with notable artists such as Ike Turner and Shirley Gunter, and performed at prominent venues like the 1954 Cavalcade of Jazz. Despite frequent lineup changes and eventual disbandment in the mid‑1960s, the group’s influence persisted through posthumous compilations and retrospectives, cementing their place in early R&B and doo‑wop history.

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