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The Dramatics

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Vocalists

The Resume

    Formed in 1962 in Detroit as The Dynamics
    Changed their name to The Dramatics in 1967
    1971 line-up:
    Ron Banks - vocals
    William 'Wee Gee' Howard - vocals
    Elbert Wilkins - vocals
    Willie Ford - vocals
    Larry 'Squirrel' Demps - vocals
    James Mack Brown - keyboards
    Recorded 'Whatcha See is Whatcha Get' and 'In the Rain'

Why they might be annoying:

    They were a Detroit area group NOT signed by Motown.
    They were staying at the Algiers Motel when Detroit police allegedly murdered three young men there, sparking the Detroit riots of 1967.
    Their concert attire consisted of either cheesy '70s style tuxedos or loud pimp-looking threads.
    When Howard and Wilkins left the band in 1973, they formed a splinter group, and for a few years the remaining members had to bill themselves as Ron Banks & the Dramatics for legal reasons.
    With many line-up changes and no hits since the '70s, they still perform occasional gigs.

Why they might not be annoying:

    They didn't give up on themselves through the lean years in the '60s, and it paid off in 1971 when 'Whatcha See is Whatcha Get' became a smash hit.
    The song reached #3 on the U.S. R&B chart, #9 on the pop chart, sold over one million copies and earned them a gold disc.
    Their 1972 follow-up, 'In the Rain,' did even better, hitting #1 on the R&B chart, #5 on the pop chart, and gave them their second gold record.
    In all, they had 13 songs reach the Top 20 on the R&B Singles chart (including six in the Top 5).
    They made a guest appearance on two songs by Snoop Doggy Dogg, one on his 1993 debut album 'Doggystyle,' and the other on his 2002 album 'Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$.'
    Wilkins died of a heart attack in 1992 at age 45, Howard died of a heart attack in 2000 at age 49, Brown died in 2008 at age 58, and Banks died of a heat attack in 2010 at age 58.

Credit: Scar Tactics & Black Chic


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 62.50% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 41 Votes: 68.29% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 7 Votes: 28.57% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 24 Votes: 58.33% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 16 Votes: 56.25% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 9 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 30 Votes: 60.0% Annoying