#163: It Will Stand by the Showmen
City: Windsor, ON
Radio Station: CKLW
Peak Month: May 1964
Peak Position in Windsor ~ #6
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ #28
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #80 (1964) | #61 (1961)
YouTube: “It Will Stand”
Lyrics: “It Will Stand”
The Showmen were a group formed by General Norman Johnson. He was born in 1941, in Norfolk, Virginia. “General” was his first name, not a military name, stage name or nickname. He began singing in choirs at the age of six. In 1953, Johnson formed The Humdingers. They were recorded by Atlantic Records in 1956, but their four singles were not released. In 1961, the group changed its name to The Showmen. They moved to New Orleans from Norfolk (VA) and were signed to Minit Records and Allen Toussaint produced fifteen of their singles. General Norman Johnson was the lead singer for The Showmen. He was backed up by bass singer Milton “Smokes” Wells, second tenor Dorsey “Chops” Knight, his first tenor brother Gene “Cheater” Knight, and Leslie “Fat Boy” Felton on baritone. Wells, Dorsey and Gene Knight, and Leslie Felton all met General Norman Johnson at the same high school in Norfolk, Virginia. They all lived in the same neighborhood.