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Considered the “kings of a cappella” by both NPR and their fans worldwide, The Persuasions have led an incredible career innovatively adapting songs into their own inimitable a cappella arrangements. Not only have Jayotis Washington, Jimmy Hayes, Ray Sanders, Joe Russell, and B.J. Jones been cited as pioneers of the popular a cappella scene, influencing such groups as Boyz II Men, Take 6 and Rockapella, they have never rested on their “Muhammad Ali” status in the world of unaccompanied music. With nearly 8000 performances; over 20 records spanning the genres of gospel, Christmas music, children’s music, the music of Frank Zappa, the music of The Beatles, the music of the Grateful Dead; and multiple television specials under their collective belts, The Persuasions show no signs of slowing down as they release The Persuasions Sing U2, a collection of some of U2’s best known tunes.
The Persuasions were initially formed in 1962 after a casual gathering of singers from a local basketball game in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, which all of the original Persuasions attended regularly. That group quickly distilled down to five guys who immediately realized that they had chemistry, and as each member took on his respective role in the group, The Persuasions were formed. The Persuasions received the artistic credit they were due nearly six years later when Frank Zappa signed them to a record deal after hearing them sing over the phone. This began the prolific recording career of The Persuasions, finding them in 1974 and 1975 with two singles on the R & B Charts. Further praise followed as The Persuasions’ seminal album Chirpin’ was reported as one of the Top 100 albums of the 1970’s by Rolling Stone. Throughout these successes and those that followed, The Persuasions have been highly sought after collaborators as they have recorded with such artists as Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, Joni Mitchell, The Neville Brothers and more. The 1980s continued to find The Persuasions a success, as songs they had recorded were included in the soundtracks for the hugely famous E.T. and Joe Versus the Volcano.
In addition to their aural accomplishments, The Persuasions have been the subject of a feature-length documentary describing their career entitled Spread the Word: The Persuasions Sing A Cappella, which garnered its own praises and continued to expose the world to the art of a cappella, Persuasions style. In 1990, The Persuasions were again invited by Spike Lee to perform in a television special on the topic of a cappella music that he directed entitled, Do It A Cappella.
And now, nearly 40 years later, The Persuasions continue to show why they are considered the “kings of a cappella” on The Persuasions Sing U2, an all out a cappella homage from the best a cappella group of all time. The group has once again brought together incredible arrangements and adaptations of familiar songs which under their treatment take on an entirely new light in fresh, exciting ways: the same ways The Persuasions have impressed critics and fans alike throughout their entire career.
“The venerable a cappella quartet The Persuasions [are] simply brilliant, applying their incredible, octave skipping street corner harmonies to a collection of classics.” – Washington Post
“This is no oldies group. The Persuasions personify the essential difference between a tired oldies group and a timeless a cappella attraction. The Persuasions have pursued a soulful dream that has artistically defied musical time and tide through four decades.” – Cash Box
“These guys are deep sea divers. I’m just a fisherman in a boat” – Tom Waits
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