A '60s soul group, the Checkmates, Ltd. scored with one big hit, 1969's Black Pearl. They were fronted by Sonny Charles, who later scored a big hit in the early '80s as a solo act. The group earned some attention for its integrated roster; other members were Bobby Stevens, Harvey Trees, Bill Van Buskirk, and Marvin Smith. They were from Fort Wayne, IN, and were a discovery of Nancy Wilson. They disbanded from 1970 to 1974, then returned for another shot and issued All Alone by the Telephone in 1976 for Polydor, which flopped. ~ Ron Wynn, Rovi