Sonny Til (Born Earlington Tilghman)
August 18, 1928 – December 9, 1981
Sonny Til was the lead singer of the Orioles, an influential doo-wop group that was one of the first of the genre to rise to prominence. Til formed the group in the late ’40s, making them, buy some accounts, R&B’s first vocal group. Over the course of their career, they scored with hits like “Crying in the Chapel,” “It’s Too Soon to Know,” and “It’s Gonna Be a Lonely Christmas.” Their songs have been covered by Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Elvis Presley, and more. Sonny Til fronted the group until he passed away from heart failure due to diabetes in 1981. He was 53 years old.