The Robins

Californiaґs first «bird» group was formed when Ty Terrell Leonard and the Richard brothers Billy and Roy met at Alameda High School in San Francisco in 1945, and formed the «A-Sharp Trio» (no recordings). The trio came to Hollywood a year later, and in 1949 they were joined by Bobby Nunn, who worked at Johnny Otisґ and Alu Bardiґs club «The Barrelhouse» in Watts. The group became the third of the trend setting bird groups after the Ravens and the Orioles. Grady Chapman joined the group as lead singer and fifth member in 1953. From March, 1954 Carl Gardner substituted for Grady (who was sent to jail for a while) and Carl was later featured as sixth singer in the group (and foremost lead on Spark Records). Chapman made some solo records in 1954 or 1955, and in 1957 and 1958 and also for Imperial after 1960 and was used as a studio back-up. He often joined Nunnґs Coasters Mark II during several years from the mid ґ60s, and worked with Billy Richards Jrґs Nunn-offspring «Coasters» group and also toured with his own line-up of «Coasters». Grady also substituted for Carl Gardner in the true Coasters a couple of times in the late ґ90s after Richards and Gardner had settled their differences. Ty Terrell, as he prefers to call himself, did some solo recordings after 1960. Several of the Robinsґ members also recorded with Marvin Phillips in different versions of «Marvin & Johnny».

Note: the Richard brothers (who are not twins) were born with the name Richard (although the early Savoy song credits are to Richards). Todd Baptista, who seldom is wrong, refers to them as Richard; and the Rhythm & Blues Foundation sent one of the invitations of their award ceremony to «William Richard» - and Eric LeBlanc has confirmed birth dates and the surnames Richard, although Census has Richards registered.

Births of members: Nunn: September 20, 1925 (Birmingham, Alabama - raised in Detroit; died November 5, 1986); William Gene «Billy» Richard: January 31, 1928 in Crockett, Houston County, Texas - died in Los Angeles December 10, 2007; Roy Benton Richard (aka Curtis Benton Richard): October 10, 1929 in Crockett, Houston County, Texas (not 1933 or 1930) - died May 1 1983 in Los Angeles; «Ty» Terrell Leonard: born 1928 near Jackson, Miss and moving to California in 1939 - nowadays telling everyone he is an original Coaster; Grady Chapman born October 1, 1929, Greenville, South Carolina - active up into 2010 with a new Robins group - died in L-A. January 4, 2011 - Grady Chapman at Wikipedia. Robert Joseph Sheen: May 17, 1941 - died in Los Angeles November 12, 2000 - More on Bobby Sheen. Bill Richard aka Richards Jr: circa 1940.

Recording debut: Los Angeles early 1949 as The Four Bluebirds (see below).
Most notable records for: Savoy 1949-1950, RCA 1953, Spark 1954-1955, Whippet 1956-1957.