I sing First Tenor, Second Tenor, Baritone and Lead for The Contours with Joe Billingslea.
I was born in the mid-40s in New York, New York. I was raised in Hartford, Connecticut until my family moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1959. There I attended East Technical High School and in my spare time sang under the streetlights, on the corners, at sock hops and parties.
After graduation, I enlisted in the United States Air Force. I was stationed in Europe, and in both France and England I performed singing engagements on military facilities and at gigs in the surrounding towns and villages. When my 3½ year tour ended, I returned home to Cleveland.
I sang with a number of gospel groups and choirs. After hooking up with a group called The Sensational Saints, I participated in my first recording session and first road tour.
In the early eighties, I relocated to Detroit with an R&B vocal trio called The Platinum Riders. Our group took the R&B category at the first Metro Times Music Awards. I won several awards from other competitions including placing second in the 1985 NAACP Statewide Talent Search. I also turned to some theater work, acting in local plays, including the performances, "Queen Esther" and "Wine In The Wilderness." When not entertaining, I worked in the medical community as a Certified Nursing Assistant.
I left The Platinum Riders and became a member of The Falcons (a group that had charted "You're So Fine" in 1959 with future-Contour Joe Stubbs on lead and "I Found A Love" in 1962). I remained with The Falcons until 1993, when I joined THE CONTOURS, singing first tenor, second tenor, baritone and lead. At the same time, I gave up my medical career to devote full time to the group and its busy performance schedule.
I've been married to my wife, Sharon, for approximately 25 years. My four grown children have all left the state of Michigan; two live in California, one is in Atlanta, Georgia and the other lives in Cleveland, Ohio.
In addition to singing, I am active in the community. I am President and Co-Founder of The Warren Foundation. This organization brings diabetes awareness and free testing to the public via local churches. In 2001, I received the Peace Dove Award for community activism.
With the other members of THE CONTOURS, I received the Smokey Robinson Heroes & Legends award in 2000.