The Chi-Lites (band)
The Chi-Lites are an American R&B/soul vocal quartet from Chicago, Illinois, United States.
The group’s greatest fame came during the early 1970s. They scored eleven Top Ten R&B hits from 1969 to 1974. They also charted 21 songs in the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Chart, and had chart hits in Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada, as well as in the U.S.
The group was formed in Chicago in the late 1950s while still in high school. The original members were lead singer Eugene Record, Robert “Squirrel” Lester, Clarence Johnson, Burt Bowen, and Eddie Reed of The Chanteurs. All attended Hyde Park High School except for Record who attended Englewood High School. The group performed at their High School “Senior Varieties” talent show. Soon after, they released a single entitled, “You’ve Got A Great Love” written by Johnson.
Bowen left the group and was replaced by Sollie McElroy of The Flamingos, who was soon replaced by Marshall Thompson of The Desideros. In 1960, Reed died and Thompson brought in Creadel “Red” Jones who was a member of The Desideros to replace him. In early 1964 the group changed their name to The Hi-Lites and released a song entitled, “I’m So Jealous” with Record on lead.
Noting that the name Hi-lites was already in use and wanting to honor their home town they changed their name to Marshall & The Chi-Lites in 1964.
Under their new name they recorded four songs entitled, “Pretty Girl” written by Record, who also was on lead, “Love Bandit” written by Jones with Thompson on lead, “Price of Love”and “Baby It’s Time”. Clarence Johnson left he group later that year, and their name was subsequently shortened to the Chi-Lites. Eugene Record was the musical group’s sole songwriter and lead singer. Record never collaborated with members outside his singing group.
In 1968, the group meet with record producer Carl Davis and signed a contract with Brunswick Records out of Chicago. The Chi-Lites with members Record, Thompson, Lester and Jones recorded their first charting song, “Give It Away” written by Davis and Record. The single became a top ten Billboard R&B hit spending nine weeks on the chart and peaking at No. 10 on March 15, 1969.
Personnel
Current members
Marshall Thompson – 1959–present (born August 24, 1942, Chicago)
Current sidemen
Tara Thompson – 1998–present (born June 29, 1971, Chicago)
Fred Simon – 2010–present (born May 29, 1951, Chicago)
Mack Miller – 2014–present (born May 1, 1955, Chicago)
Warren Tipton – 2018–present (born June 12, 1958, Gary, Indiana)
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