The Dramatics, founded by Ron Banks (May 10, 1951 – March 4, 2010), Larry Demps, Rod Davis, Elbert Wilkins and Larry Reed, originally formed in 1964. They were originally known as the Sensations, but changed their billing to the Dramatics in 1965. Their first release in 1965 entitled "Bingo" was recorded for Wingate, a division of
Golden World Records in Detroit, Michigan. By 1967,
Motown had absorbed the entire Golden World Records operation. The Dramatics then moved to another local Detroit label, Sport Records, where they garnered their first minor
hit single, "All Because of You". in 1969. The Dramatics signed with
Stax Records of Memphis, Tennessee in 1968, but moved on after one unsuccessful release, the 1969 Temptations-inspired tune "Your Love Was Strange" (Volt VOA 4029), written by group members Ron Banks, William "Wee Gee" Howard, and Elbert "Al" Wilkins, which got regional airplay, but never charted nationally. This song was re-released as the "B" side to the hit, "Toast to the Fool" (Volt VOA 4082) three years later. However, producer Don Davis re-signed them to Volt, a Stax subsidiary, in 1971 after the group teamed up with Detroit writer-producer, Tony Hester. William "Wee Gee" Howard, Elbert Wilkins, Willie Ford, and Larry Demps. These five members are often thought of as the original Dramatics, though it is more accurate to call them "the Classic Five", as only Ron Banks, Larry Demps and Elbert Wilkins were part of the original line-up. This quintet are the five singers that the general public first got to know as The Dramatics. Shortly after the success of their first album, Howard and Wilkins left the group, Howard and Wilkins were forced to change the name of their group to "A Dramatic Experience". Banks, Demps and Ford then had the trademark rights to the name, and then extended that right to Mayes and Reynolds. Through the 1970s, the group continued to have successful songs, including the Top 10 Pop, number 1
R&B hit, "
In the Rain" in 1972, "Hey You! Get Off My Mountain" (number 5 R&B), "
Me and Mrs Jones" (number 4 R&B), originally recorded by
Billy Paul three years earlier, "
Be My Girl" (number 3 R&B), and "Shake It Well" (number 4 R&B). They also featured on
The Dells vs. The Dramatics on
Chess Records' subsidiary Cadet, together with
the Dells, who were also being produced by Davis at the time. The group then signed for ABC in 1975 and transferred five years later to MCA, after ABC closed following its buy-out by MCA. plus in 2017 long time member Paul Hill, of
George Clinton's
Parliament/
Funkadelic band joined Willie Ford's Dramatics. The Dramatics featuring Willie Ford focused on staying true to the Dramatics' original and recognizable concept of five part harmonies and five dynamic lead voices in the group, at their shows until his death at 68 years old, on May 28, 2019, after having surgery. L.J. Reynolds' Dramatics featured the singing-talents of Reynolds and also included music from Reynolds' solo career at their shows. On September 24, 2018, L.J. Reynolds legally took the trademark rights to the name the Dramatics. The Dramatics were officially inducted into the
R&B Music Hall of Fame at
Cleveland State University's Waetejen Auditorium on Saturday August 17, 2013. The Dramatics are depicted centrally in the 2017,
Kathryn Bigelow film
Detroit, a
dramatization of the
Algiers Motel killings. In 2020, reviewing ''
I Escaped from Devil's Island'' (1973) on the website of his
New Beverly Cinema,
Quentin Tarantino pointed out that the film's director
Bill Witney, concluded "a directing career that spanned constant shooting of film since the mid-thirties" by filming The Dramatics singing "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get." ==Discography==