The Velvets
The Velvets, a doo-wop group from Odessa, Texas, were formed in 1959 by Virgil
Johnson, a high-school English teacher at Blackshear Junior High School. The
group initially consisted of Johnson as the lead tenor singer, along with Mark
Prince on bass, Clarence Rigsby on tenor, Robert Thursby on first tenor, and
William Solomon on baritone. Before forming the group, Johnson was a DJ at KDAV
Radio in Lubbock, Texas. The Velvets' breakthrough came when Roy Orbison signed
them to Monument Records in 1960. Their debut release was "That Lucky Old Sun",
followed by their most successful ...
