"Sonny" Charles Hemphill was born in Arkansas and moved with his family to Ft. Wayne, Indiana when he was a young boy. It was there that he joined Bobby Stevens and his boyhood friends starting a band and began singing. After several talent shows, they decided to try to make some money and started having real paying gigs. Later the band "TheCheckmates, Ltd.", one of, if not the first mixed group of the era, there were two white members, Harvey Trees guitar & Bill Vanbuskirk bass, joined the army on the buddy system and served their country. During their time … read more
"Sonny" Charles Hemphill was born in Arkansas and moved with his family to Ft. Wayne, Indiana when he was a young boy. It was there that he joined Bobby Stevens and his boyhood friends starting a band and began singing. After several talent shows, they decided to try to make some mo… read more
"Sonny" Charles Hemphill was born in Arkansas and moved with his family to Ft. Wayne, Indiana when he was a young boy. It was there that he joined Bobby Stevens and his boyhood friends starting a band and began singing. After several talent shows, they decided to try to make some money and started having real paying gigs. Later the band "TheCheckma… read more
