Pickett's Gospel Hero

The Sensational Nightingales - Somewhere to Lay My Head

Pickett started out in gospel, as did many of his contemporaries. A major influence in Pickett's vocal style was Rev. Julius Cheeks, long-time lead singer of the Sensational Nightingales. Listening to a wide variety of Nightingales performances from the mid-fifties to Cheeks' departure from the group in the early '60s, and Cheeks' own recordings of the later '60s could easily have been Pickett recordings. Here is one of the earlier performances by that group.

(NOTE: Pickett's gospel career was at its biggest when Pickett was a member of the Violinaires; unfortunately, by the time the Violinaires made their splash on Checker, Pickett had already joined the Falcons.)