The Four Knights
| Company type | Vocal ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1943 |
| Headquarters | Charlotte, North Carolina , United States |
| Products | Music recordings (singles, LPs, EPs) |
The Four Knights were a vocal ensemble originating from Charlotte, North Carolina, best recognized for their 1954 chart-topping single "I Get So Lonely When I Dream About You (Oh Baby Mine)," which surpassed one million sales and was awarded a gold record.
Career
Established in 1943, the founding members consisted of Gene Alford (lead tenor), Oscar Broadway (bass), Clarence Dixon (baritone), and John Wallace (tenor and guitarist). Initially known as the Southland Jubilee Singers, their repertoire spanned gospel, pop, and doo-wop genres. Their professional debut occurred in 1944 on Charlotte’s WSDC radio station, followed by a featured spot on the CBS affiliate WBT’s Carolina Hayride. By 1945, they had adopted the name The Four Knights and moved to New York City, where they appeared on Arthur Godfrey’s radio program.
In 1946, they secured a contract with Decca Records, releasing multiple singles while also performing regularly on Red Skelton’s radio show throughout 1948 during tours with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. The group issued singles under Decca’s Coral label in 1949. After losing their association with Skelton in 1950 due to managerial conflicts, they terminated their management relationship and signed with Capitol Records in 1951. During their six-year tenure at Capitol, they produced approximately 40 singles alongside two LPs and three EPs. Their 1951 release "I Love the Sunshine of Your Smile" attained No. 23 on the U.S. pop charts. With television gaining prominence, they returned to Skelton’s TV program and made appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Their most notable commercial achievement arrived in 1954 with "(Oh Baby Mine) I Get So Lonely," which climbed to No. 3 in the United States, sold over one million copies globally, and received a gold disc. The song also reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. The Four Knights collaborated with Nat King Cole on successful tracks such as "My Personal Possession" and "That's All There Is to That."
Gene Alford departed from the group due to worsening epilepsy and was replaced first by George Vereen and subsequently by Clifford Holland, formerly of the Delta Rhythm Boys. Alford passed away in 1960.
In 1957, The Four Knights returned to Coral Records, releasing four singles and two albums. Their last single to chart was "Oh Falling Star" in 1959, which reached No. 83. They continued issuing singles with smaller labels into the early 1960s but effectively withdrew from the music scene by the mid-1960s. Clarence Dixon left the group in 1963; the ensemble officially disbanded in 1966. John Wallace died in 1978; Oscar Broadway also passed away that year; Clarence Dixon died in 1992.