Royalettes

Clockwise from the top: Roni Brown, Terry Jones, Anita Ross, Sheila Ross, 1965
This Baltimore quartet was something of a link between the girl group and "sweet soul" styles. Their harmonies were clearly grounded in the early-'60s girl group approach

Members:
      (1962-1957)
          Sheila Ross - Lead
          Anita Ross
          Veronica (Roni) Brown
          Terry Jones

The Royalettes were a pop R&B quartet from Baltimore, Maryland, that came together at Edmondson High School. The members were Sheila Ross on lead, her sister Anita, Cousin Ronnie Brown, and friend Terry Flippen.

The four girls practiced the hits of the day and emulated the sounds of the Chantels and the Shirelles in particular.

In 1962, the Royalettes came to the attention of the design makers at Chancellor Records in Philadelphia and recorded two singles. "No Big Thing," released in late 1962, had an up-tempo soul sound like the Orlons, while its flip side had a pop group sound. When the records went nowhere Chancellor issued "Blue Summer" in early 1963 with the same results.

In 1964, the Royalettes won a talent contest on Buddy Deane's TV show in Baltimore and were noticed by local promo man Harold Berkman. Berkman brought the group to producer/writer Terry Randazzo, who began writing material for them that was similar to the songs that Burt Bacharach and Hal David were writing for Dionne Warwick. The Royalettes made some obscure singles for Chancellor and Warner Bros. before being signed to MGM in 1964. The result was a late 1964 remake of the Chantels' "He's Gone, " that came and went as did their second release "Poor Boy."

If they sometimes sounded like a female version of Little Anthony & the Imperials' later recordings, it's no coincidence. Little Anthony's producer, Teddy Randazzo, also handled the Royalettes, and wrote much of their MGM material. 

In June 1965 their third single, the lush "It's Gonna Take A Miracle," was issued, charting on July 17th. This was by far their most successful outing, stopping just shy of the Top 40

It was destined to be more identified, however, with singer/songwriter Laura Nyro, who made it the title track of her 1971 album of soul covers. In 1982, Deniece Williams took the song into the Top Ten with her own rendition

The girls, who were between 17 and 21, got their first taste of big time touring when they played the Royal Theatre in Baltimore with the Supremes, Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, the Coasters, Martha and the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, and Wilson Pickett.

The Royalettes' follow up "I Want To Meet Him," went to #72 nationally, but their next five singles for MGM did little.

In 1972 the group moved to Roulette Records where they recorded "River of Tears," but by the early '70s they were off the scene.

Sheila Ross

Terry Jones went into the medical field and moved to the West coast. Anita Ross moved to Florida and became a secretary with CSX Railroads. Sheila Ross continued singing and later in th 70s became a Playboy bunny.