The Empires

Group from Harlem, NY
Consisted of; Johnny "Buddy" Barnes (lead), Les Cooper (1st tenor), Bobby Dunn (baritone), William Goodman (bass)

The Empires formed in 1953. The group was comprised of tenor Les Cooper, his nephew Johnny "Buddy" Barnes on lead tenor, and his cousin William Goodman on bass. They added baritone Bobby Dunn, completing the original Empires lineup. The group signed to the Harlem label in late 1954. Harlem owner Morty Shad renamed Barnes "Johnny Ace, Jr." in an attempt to capitalize on the recent death of the R&B legend. Even stranger, the Empires' third single, "Somebody Changed the Lock," was credited to Lightning Junior & the Empires -- "Lightning Junior" was, in fact, blues veteran Champion Jack Dupree.

When Shad folded Harlem in mid-1955, the Empires signed to Mercury to record "I Want to Know," issued on the label's Wing subsidiary. When the follow-up, "Looking for Love," appeared on Mercury proper, the group was now credited as the Prestos. Upon returning to Wing in early 1956, they were again the Empires. They moved to the fledgling Whirlin' Disc imprint for "Linda". A re-recorded "Magic Mirror," appeared with yet another name change, this time to the Whirlers. Cooper later formed the Soul Rockers, scoring a 1962 hit.