The Dells : Anthology

OH, WHAT A NIGHT

TO LOVE YOU DEAR

OH WHAT A NIGHT

TO HOLD YOU NEAR

OH  WHAT A NIGHT

TO SQUEEZE YOU DEAR

THAT'S WHY I LOVE YOU SO

 The Dells 

were an 

American

 R&B 

vocal group.

 Formed in

 high school

 in 1953 

by founding 

members 

Marvin Junior, 

Verne Allison, 

Johnny Funches, 

Chuck Barksdale, 

and 

Michael 

and 

Lucius McGill, 

under the name

 the El-Rays.

They released their 

first recording

 in 1954

 and

 two years later 

had their first 

R&B hit with

 "Oh What a Night". 

After disbanding due

 to a near-fatal 

car crash

 in 1958, 

the band re-formed

 in 1960 

with 

Funches being 

replaced by 

Johnny Carter. 

This lineup remained

 together until 

Carter's death in 2009.

 In 2004

 the Dells 

were inducted into 

both the 

Rock and Roll 

Hall of Fame

 and the

 Vocal Group

 Hall of Fame. 

The group performed 

until illness

 forced longtime 

lead singer 

Marvin Junior

 and bass 

vocalist 

Chuck Barksdale

 into retirement, 

ending the group's

 60-year run.

Original Dells

 vocalist 

Johnny Funches

 died of pneumonia 

on

 January 23, 1998,

 at the age of 62.

Johnny Carter

 died of cancer 

on 

August 21, 2009, 

at the age of 75. 

Carter

 is one of the few artists

 to be a double 

Rock and Roll 

Hall of Fame inductee, 

having been inducted 

with 

The Flamingos 

in 2001, 

and

 the Dells

 in 2004.

On May 29, 2013, 

founding member

 Marvin Junior 

died in his sleep

 at his home

 in Harvey, Illinois, 

succumbing to 

complications of

 kidney failure

 and a 

weak heart 

at the age of 77.

Chuck Barksdale

 died on 

May 15, 2019,

 at the age of 84

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