Persuasions

The iconic group, comprising founding members Jerry Lawson, Jimmy Hayes, Joseph Jesse “Sweet Joe” Russell, ‘Little’ Jayotis Washington, and Herbert ‘Toubo’ Rhoad, first gained wider attention through public affairs television appearances on WNEW-TV and WABC-TV shows like ‘Inside Bedford-Stuyvesant’ and ‘Like It Is’ that same year. Their distinctive five-part harmonies, blending gospel, soul, early rock, and jazz, quickly captivated audiences, leading to a performance opening for The Mothers at Carnegie Hall in 1971. Over their remarkable career spanning decades, The Persuasions released 23 studio albums, consistently touring and earning critical acclaim. Their versatility was evident with multiple albums charting on the Billboard 200, including ‘We Came to Play’ reaching No.

Further demonstrating their enduring legacy, their song ‘People Get Ready’ from the album ‘Street Corner Symphony’ was prominently featured in a Comcast Winter Olympics TV Commercial spanning 2017-2018. Following his departure from the group in 2003, co-founder and lead singer Jerry Lawson pursued a successful solo career, further solidifying the group’s impact on the music industry. Lawson was individually inducted into the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame in 2010 and received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Contemporary A Capella Recording Awards (CARAs) in 2015, alongside a Lifetime Achievement recognition by the Contemporary A Capella Society in the same year. The Persuasions’ legacy as the ‘Kings of A Cappella’ continues to resonate, inspiring new generations of vocal talent.