 They attended Gethsemane AME Zion Church and he attended school in Charlotte, North Carolina.He began his career singing gospel music before switching to R&B.In 1954 he won a recording contract with Savoy Records, which yielded a series of hits, including "Don't Be Angry" (#2 R&B, #25 pop, 1955), "Pitter Patter" (#10 R&B, 1955), "Little By Little" (#57 pop, 1956), and "It Don't Hurt No More" (#8 R&B, #89 pop, 1958).