The Voices of East Harlem -

The Voices of East Harlem were an American soul group that released four albums between 1970 and 1974 on Elektra and Just Sunshine and scored an R&B hit with “Giving Love.”

Members: Gerri Griffin (lead vocals), Monica Burress (lead vocals), Bernard Graham, Wayne Garfield, Jerome Mack, Elaine Clark, Cynthia Sessions, Kevin Griffin, Claudia Moore

Background

The Voices of East Harlem formed in 1969 in East Harlem when Anna Griffin organized a youth vocal ensemble through the East Harlem Federation Youth Association. Herbert “Chuck” Griffin founded EHFYA in 1968 after service in the Navy and work as a Harlem youth basketball and football coach. Anna Griffin recruited gospel singer Bernice Cole as music director.

Cole spent seven years with the Angelic Gospel Singers and worked with Rev. James Cleveland. The group soon expanded to 24 singers, most in their teens, and rehearsed once a week at the EHFYA center, a converted supermarket on Second Avenue between 115th and 116th streets. Gerri Griffin was the only professional performer in the early ensemble and previously appeared in Hair.

The Voices began at neighborhood events and made their formal debut at the New York Urban Coalition “Give A Damn” benefit at the Electric Circus. The group appeared on The Dick Cavett Show on Aug. 29, 1969, and returned to network television on Nov. 30 for The Ed Sullivan Show. The Voices opened the Dec. 31, 1969, Fillmore East shows with Jimi Hendrix and performed on Jan. 28, 1970, at the Winter Festival for Peace at Madison Square Garden.

The group signed with Elektra Records by mid-1970 under manager Jerry Brandt. The Voices returned to The Ed Sullivan Show in May and joined the Isle of Wight Festival lineup in August. The group entered Electric Lady Studios in New York with producers Jerry Brandt and David Rubinson and engineer Eddie Kramer to record the debut album Right On Be Free.

Discography: