The Persuaders (R&B group)

The Persuaders were signed by Atlantic Records in 1971 and scored an immediate hit with the iconic ode to domestic discord, "Thin Line Between Love and Hate," which topped the Black Singles chart and reached number 15 on the Pop chart. An album titled after the song followed in 1972, scoring the group several more R&B chart hits, including another top ten, "Love's Gonna Pack Up (and Walk Out)". The band toured throughout the year in support of the album. Following the conclusion of the tour, Barnes parted ways with the group.[3] Tragically, later in 1972, Stodghill died of an illness at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, soon after having narrowly escaped death during an argument in a bar where his former Topics bandmate Bobby Adams had died defending him.[4]

By 1973, and the release of their self-titled second album, Thomas Lee Hill and John Tobias, both from another local group, The Huns,[3] had replaced Barnes and Stodghill, respectively. Bobby Poindexter produced the second album with his wife, Jackie Members, who had also been a co-writer of the "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" single. By the end of the year, Scott was the only remaining original member, flanked by Hill, Joey Coleman, and Richard Gant. The group remained at Atlantic / Atco in this incarnation for another album, Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me, released in 1974. These Atco recordings were produced by Phil Hurtt, Tony Bell, and LeBaron Taylor in Philadelphia. The group scored a number of additional R&B and pop hits during this time, including their original version of the oft-covered song "Some Guys Have All the Luck", which inched into the Pop top 40 and became their final R&B top-ten single.

The group recorded an album on the Calla label (distributed by CBS Records) in 1976, again in Philadelphia but this time with producers Robert Curington and Norman Harris, entitled It's All About Love. One track, the ballad "I Need Love" was an R&B chart hit. They later released one single on Brunswick Records in 1981, with Douglas Scott still as lead singer.

As former members left and new members trickled in, the Persuaders' R&B legacy continued into the 21st century with two new line-ups of Persuaders. One group which tours as "The Persuaders" features Vincent Ballard, Sylvester Jones, Tmarvin Williams, and Keith Simmons.[5] The other group of Persuaders are currently touring as "The Persuaders Revue" featuring: Evan Wills, Chris White, Bernard Taylor and David Turner (the original lead singer of The Implements; David was the first to record the hit song "Look Over Your Shoulder"). The group now features: Greg Rowland, Lance Officer and Charles Saunders Jr.

There are no original members currently living. Following Stodghill's 1972 passing (described above), Douglas "Smokey" Scott passed away in 1994,[6] while the timing of Barnes' death is unclear. Willie Holland, identified as the last living original member of the Persuaders, died on February 13, 2016.[7]

• The Platinum Collection (2007, Rhino/Warner Music)