Remembered best for his work with the 1960s R&B vocal ensemble The Famous Flames, this soul singer collaborated with future music superstar James Brown on such Flames hits as 'Please, Please, Please' and 'Bewildered.' He and his Famous Flames bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. During his high school years, he was a member of a touring gospel music group called The Harmonizing Five. He later attended the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University on an athletic scholarship.
