The Avalons

The Avalons By Marv Goldberg Based on interviews with Bernard Purdie and George Cox © 2003 by Marv Goldberg The Avalons were one of the four R&B groups from Newport News, Virginia to record in the 50s (the others were the 5 Keys, the Leaders, and the Chateaus). Although both the Leaders and the Chateaus were highly influenced by the 5 Keys, the Avalons, as we'll see, were much more intertwined with them. Our story begins around 1947, with the formation of a group called the Chimes.