The Whispers

The long-running R&B vocal group The Whispers scored hits from the early ’70s through the late ’90s. Pop audiences know them best for the 1987 smash “Rock Steady.” • The Whispers were formed in the Watts section of Los Angeles in 1963 by twin brothers Wallace and Walter Scott, plus Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson, and Gordy Harmon. They soon relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and gained notice for their live performances. • Their first hit came in 1970 with “Seems Like I Got To Do Wrong,” which cracked the Top 10 of the Billboard R&B charts. • For the remainder of the ’70s, The Whispers were a steady presence on the R&B charts. They went Top 10 on that tally with “One for the Money (Part 1),” “Make It with You,” and “(Let’s Go) All the Way.” • The group’s biggest crossover popularity came in the ’80s. Their 1980 single “And the Beat Goes On” topped Billboard’s dance and R&B charts and became their first Top 20 pop hit. Its self-titled parent album went platinum. • On the strength of 1987’s “Rock Steady,” produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, the album Just Gets Better with Time also went platinum. • Following Hutson’s death in 2000, the others continued performing and recording. The Whispers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.