Any living members of Elgins to anyone's knowledge?

[woodward]

I was thinking and listening to a great Motown group tonight, the Elgins.
They have some terrific songs. One of my all time favorite groups.

The basic core members are Saundra Edwards [[nee Mallet); Robert Fleming;
Johnny Dawson; Cleo "Duke" Miller; and later Yvonne Vernee Allen after Saundra left the group.

Does anyone know if ANY of these individuals are still alive? I doubt that they are performing, but curious if they are still alive and enjoying retirement.

Thanks.

[robb_k]

12780
I think that Yvonne Vernee Allen is still alive. I don't think that Johnny Dawson or Saundra Mallett Edwards are.

[mysterysinger]

Yvonne Vernee Allen is very much with us and is active on Facebook. As far as I can tell, most of The Elgins are still with us thankfully. Someone will correct if wrong.

Past members of The Elgins have included
Saundra Mallett Edwards [[died 22nd Feb 2002)
Robert Fleming [[died 1976)
Cleo "Duke" Miller
Johnny Dawson
Norman McClean
Yvonne Vernee Allen
Jimmy Charles

[johnny_raven]

Cleo Miller died in May, 1985. Robert Fleming is gone too, but not sure when.

[jboy88]

Norman and Johnny are alive as of 2012, when they were interviewed for this superb article![[one of the few that highlight a Motown act).

[motownjohnny]

The attached link contains a fairly detailed history of the group along with their discography and may be of interest. It dates from 2012 and at that time Johnny Dawson was still with us.

http://www.uncamarvy.com/5Emeralds/5emeralds.html

[mysterysinger]

Very sad to report the death of Johnny Dawson of the Elgins which has been announced on Facebook.

[TomatoTom123]

Ah that is sad. Rest in peace Johnny Dawson.

I feel like it's Johnny that is the voice on the male-led Elgins songs...

[TomatoTom123]

I feel like it's Johnny that is the voice on the male-led Elgins songs...

Just checked... it was... a great voice he had too... :)

[soulwally]

Norman McLean sang most of the male leads according to the website mentioned above

[TomatoTom123]

Oh! discogs credits them to Johnny: https://www.discogs.com/The-Elgins-The-Motown-Anthology/release/922565

Not sure soulwally :confused:

[soulwally]

Oh! discogs credits them to Johnny: https://www.discogs.com/The-Elgins-The-Motown-Anthology/release/922565

Not sure soulwally :confused:
Confusion reigns then!

[westgrandboulevard]

The booklet which accompanies 'The Elgins Motown Anthology' double CD set [[compiled by Paul Nixon) states 'lead: Johnny', for six tracks on Disc 1, in place of Saundra or Yvonne.

Lead vocal credits not shown on Disc 2.

Hope that helps...:)

[lakeside]

https://motownjunkies.co.uk/artists/m/mallett-saundra/

[marybrewster]

Johnny Dawson passed yesterday:

https://www.soultracks.com/story-johnny-dawson-elgins-dies

[keith_hughes]

The booklet which accompanies 'The Elgins Motown Anthology' double CD set [[compiled by Paul Nixon) states 'lead: Johnny', for six tracks on Disc 1, in place of Saundra or Yvonne.

Lead vocal credits not shown on Disc 2.

Hope that helps...:)

The Elgins [[without either Johnny or Norman) performed in the UK in 2007, shortly after the Anthology set was released. I talked to Yvonne Allen during their visit, and she told me categorically that Norman sang lead on ALL the Elgins tracks that featured a male lead vocalist. I think I probably wrote the track annotations for the set, and I apologise [[again!) to Paul, and to everyone else I misled ...

Although Yvonne wasn't with the Elgins during their Motown heyday, I'm sure she was right, and Marv Goldberg is certainly usually right ...

[TomatoTom123]

Thanks for the help guys.

So it's actually Norman singing the male leads then?

As for Yvonne, I thought she was with The Elgins while they were at Motown, albeit very briefly, and towards the end of their time at the label. :)

[mysterysinger]

Yes Yvonne recorded some songs at Motown which were released on their two CD Anthology [[and very good they are too).

[johnny_raven]

Yvonne has a new single coming out soon ...

https://www.amazon.com/My-first-love-You-can/dp/B07JVTY1G8/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1539552787&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=yvonne+vernee

[TomatoTom123]

Ooh I like both those tracks johnny, very Motown-esque. :D Yvonne sounds pretty much the same too. :)

[robb_k]

Ah that is sad. Rest in peace Johnny Dawson.

I feel like it's Johnny that is the voice on the male-led Elgins songs...
14733
Johnny was The Downbeats' lead singer, when they were on Peacock and Tamla Records. After they changed their name to The Elgins, Saundra Mallett Edwards took almost all the leads. I don't remember Johnny having any leads on Elgins' singles, but maybe he had a lead or two on some album cuts. He certainly also sang several leads on their unreleased cuts while they were still The Downbeats.

[kenneth]

14733
Johnny was The Downbeats' lead singer, when they were on Peacock and Tamla Records. After they changed their name to The Elgins, Saundra Mallett Edwards took almost all the leads. I don't remember Johnny having any leads on Elgins' singles, but maybe he had a lead or two on some album cuts. He certainly also sang several leads on their unreleased cuts while they were still The Downbeats.

Didn't one of the guys sing lead on their version of "In the Midnight Hour?" Was that Johnny? Or I might be thinking of a different track on their Darling Baby LP. I seem to recall a male had the lead on a track or two.

[reese]

Didn't one of the guys sing lead on their version of "In the Midnight Hour?" Was that Johnny? Or I might be thinking of a different track on their Darling Baby LP. I seem to recall a male had the lead on a track or two.

On their lp, Johnny did the lead on 634-5789 and WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN.