The Tams

The Tams are an American vocal group from Atlanta, Georgia, who enjoyed their greatest chart success in the 1960s, but continued to chart in the 1970s, and the 1980s. Two separate lineups of the group continue to perform and record. One lineup, called 'The Original Tams with R. L. Smith', features original member Robert Lee Smith, and the other lineup is under the leadership of Little Red, the son of longtime member Albert Cottle, and stepfather Charles Pope and the nephew of group co-founder Joe Pope.The original members were students at David T. Howard High School. The founding members were brothers Joseph and Charles Pope, Robert Lee Smith, Floyd Ashton and Willie J. Rutherford. Rutherford had problems on stage and was replaced by Horace Key early in the groups history. A story often told about the group was that they had sung in the 1950s as The Four Dots, but this rumour was debunked by Smith in 2015. They took the name the Tams from the Tam o'shanter hats they wore on stage.In 1962, the group was discovered by Bill Lowery when they were singing in a hotel Smith managed. Their first recording was a hit single on Arlen Records. "Untie Me", a Joe South composition, became a top 20 on the Billboard R&B chart. In 1963, Ashton left and was replaced by Albert Cottle, who was from Washington, D.C..The follow-up releases largely failed until 1964, when "What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am)", reached the top 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song spent three weeks at number one on the Cash Box R&B chart. Many of their popular hits were written by Ray Whitley."Hey Girl Don't Bother Me" was also a modest US hit the same year. the Tams had only one further major US hit (in 1968) when "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy", peaked at No. 26 on the US R&B chart, and subsequently made the UK top 40 in 1970.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.