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Biography

There have been at least 7 bands named The Esquires - 1. The Esquires were an American R&B and soul group from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, principally active from 1957 to 1976. Their debut record for Bunky/Scepter was "Get on Up", (1967) which became a major hit in the United States, peaking at #11 as a pop single but reaching #3 on the R&B charts. 2. A Canadian pop/rock band active from 1962 to 1967. They were the first act of their kind signed to a major label in Canada, as well as one of the first...

There have been at least 7 bands named The Esquires -

1. The Esquires were an American R&B and soul group from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, principally active from 1957 to 1976. Their debut record for Bunky/Scepter was "Get on Up", (1967) which became a major hit in the United States, peaking at #11 as a pop single but reaching #3 on the R&B charts.
2. A Canadian pop/rock band active from 1962 to 1967. They were the first act of their kind signed to a major label in Canada, as well as one of the first winners of what later became the Juno Award.
3. Surf Band c 1966 from California.
4. A garage band formed in 1965 from Springfield, Massachusetts, who released a single on the tiny local label Salem - "SALEM SR-003 - Shake A Tail Feather / Down The Track". Very shortly after this a change in personnel & direction was accompanied with a name change to The Bold and later again, to just Bold.
5. A mid-sixties garage band from Texas.
6. A mid-Sixties garage band from Florida.
7. A rock-n-roll side project of the usually-acoustic duo Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, featuring Rawlings on electric guitar and lead vocals, Welch on bass, David Steele on drums, and occasionally Ryan Adams; active late 90s-early 2000s.


#1 The group first formed in 1957 around the Moorer family: Gilbert (born Gilbert Moorer, Jr., August 20, 1941, Birmingham, Alabama, died August 28, 2008), his brother Alvis (born Alvis V. Moorer, January 18, 1940, Birmingham, Alabama, died August 21, 2011), and their sister Betty. They first performed as Betty Moorer and the Esquires. When their sister and lead singer left, the group shortened its name to The Esquires, and Gilbert became lead singer. In 1961, Sam Pace (born Sammie L. Pace, September 22, 1944, Kansas City, Missouri, died January 7, 2013) joined as a tenor. They went through many lineup changes over their first decade, which saw them aiming mostly for local recognition. In 1966 they moved to Chicago and auditioned for Curtis Mayfield, who was not interested in signing them. They then attempted to sign with Constellation Records, but the record label went under at the end of 1966; they signed instead with Bunky Records, Constellation's successor. Bunky was distributed by Scepter Records on the national level.
Their debut record for Bunky/Scepter was "Get on Up", (1967) which became a major hit in the United States, peaking at #11 as a pop single but reaching #3 on the R&B charts. Following the release they played Chicago's Regal Theater and the Apollo Theatre in New York City. Further singles were also successes, and the group released one full-length LP. After five singles on Bunky the group signed a deal with Scepter themselves late in 1968. They later returned to Bunky and then, in 1970, signed with Capitol Records for one single ("Reach Out") and Lamarr Records in 1971 for "Girls in the City".

Gilbert Moorer died from throat cancer on August 28, 2008, at the age of 67.

Alvis Moorer died on August 21, 2011 at the age of 71.

Sam Pace died after a long illness on January 7, 2013 at the age of 68.

Edwards, who lives in Chicago, is now the only surviving member of the band from its recording days.

Members

Gilbert Moorer
Alvis Moorer
Betty Moorer
Sam Pace (1961–)
Shawn Taylor (1965–1967)
Millard Edwards
Perry Moore
Goose "Preacher" Hilliard Smith

Discography

Albums

YearAlbumRecord label
1967Get on Up and Get AwayBunky Records
1982The EsquiresFlying Heart Records
1984Whatcha Got?
1987The Esquires

Singles
YearTitlePeak chart
positionsRecord LabelB-sideAlbum
USUS
R&B
1967"Get on Up"113Bunky Records"Listen to Me"Get on Up and Get Away
"And Get Away"229"Everybody's Laughing"
1968"You Say"12641"State Fair"
"Why Can't I Stop"—48"The Feeling's Gone"
"I Know I Can"——"How Could It Be"
"You've Got the Power"9129Wand Records"No Doubt About It"
1969"I Don't Know"—37"Part Angel"
"Reach Out"——Capitol Records"Listen to Me"
1970"Ain't No Reason"——B and G Records"Baba-Daba-Dop"
1971"Dancin' a Hole in the World"——Rocky Ridge
Records"That Ain't No Reason"
"Girls in the City"12018Lamarr Records"Ain't Gonna Give It Up"
1974"Let Me Build You a New World"——New World
Records"Stay"
1976"Get on Up '76"—62Ju-Par Records"The Feeling's Gone"
1980"The Show Ain't Over"——Cigar Man
Music Records"What Good Is Music?"
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