- Gloria Williams
Gloria Williams (1942-2000) was an American singer notable for being the original lead singer of an early incarnation of
Martha and the Vandellas under the name, The Del-Phis.Born in
Detroit, Michigan in 1942, Williams auditioned for a spot in a girl group in 1957, and found herself accompanyingAnnette Beard ,Rosalind Ashford andMartha Reeves in the christened Del-Phis.The group performed in benefits and high school parties before being signed to the
Chess Records subsidiary Checkmate (later bought byMotown Records ). Williams sung lead on an early single, "There He Is (At My Door)", on the Mel-O-Dy subsidiary of Motown after the group changed their name to The Vels.However, when the single flopped, a frustrated Williams left the group leaving the band as a trio. The group went on to international fame with Reeves as lead singer under the name of Martha and the Vandellas.
She got a job working for the city of
Detroit , and passed away several years ago (in 2000).
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