The Showmen

The Showmen were an American doo-wop and R&B group formed in 1961, originating from Norfolk, Virginia. The band was initially known as the Humdingers, led by General Norman Johnson who formed the group at the age of twelve. The group's original members included Johnson, Milton "Smokes" Wells, Dorsey "Chops" Knight, Gene "Cheater" Knight, Leslie "Fat Boy" Felton, Frank Owens, Gordon Banks, and Randall "Bootney" Wilkins. In May 1961 and April 1962, they moved to New Orleans to record under the supervision of Allen Toussaint for Joe Banashak's label. The Showmen achieved their breakthrough with "It Will Stand", released on Minit Records in 1961, which reached number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 and re-charted at number 80 in 1964 after being re-released by Imperial Records. Another notable hit was "39-21-40 Shape", a Carolina Beach Music standard that became widely known despite a labeling error. The group recorded fifteen titles under Toussaint's supervision, including the Northern soul track "Our Love Will Grow" on Swan Records. In 1968, Johnson left the group to join Holland-Dozier-Holland’s Invictus Records and formed Chairmen of the Board. The Showmen disbanded in 1975.

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