Verne Allison obit

R.I.P. Verne Allison, founding member of the legendary R&B act The Dells

 

He was not on the list.

(October 7, 2026) We are sad to report the passing of Verne Allison, a founding member and longtime second tenor of legendary soul group The Dells. Allison was 90.

While lead singers Marvin Junior and Johnny Carter understandably received much of the spotlight during the Dells’ remarkable career, Allison was an essential part of the vocal blend that made the group instantly recognizable. And his contributions went beyond singing: he was also one of the group’s early songwriters, penning such Dells recordings as “Dry Your Eyes” and “Movin’ On.”

Allison’s death marks another chapter in the history of one of soul music’s most enduring groups. Like the Four Tops, the Dells will go down in music history as an act respected as much for its remarkable longevity as for its great music. Moving from doo-wop to jazz to soul over a half century, the group managed to stay relevant as musical styles and audiences changed, creating along the way one of the great vocal-group discographies.

The story began in Harvey, Illinois, where high school friends Marvin Junior, Charles “Chuck” Barksdale, Johnny Funches, Verne Allison and brothers Michael “Mickey” and Lucius McGill formed the El-Rays in the early 1950s. After Lucius McGill left, the group became a quintet and ultimately changed its name to The Dells. A move to Vee-Jay Records led to the group’s first major success, the 1956 doo-wop classic “Oh What A Night.”

The group’s journey almost ended two years later when the Dells were involved in a serious automobile accident. The members temporarily went their separate ways — Allison headed to New York — before reuniting. When Funches subsequently left, former Flamingos singer Johnny Carter joined, creating the lineup that would remain essentially unchanged for nearly five decades.

By the middle of the 1960s, the Dells had developed their signature sound, built around the extraordinary contrast between Junior’s gritty baritone and Carter’s soaring falsetto, surrounded by the tight harmonies of Allison, McGill and Barksdale. “Stay in My Corner” became a signature ballad, and the group followed with a remarkable run that included “There Is,” “Oh What A Night,” and “Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation.”

Working with producer Charles Stepney, the Dells reached another artistic high point with the Freedom Means album and the timeless “The Love We Had (Stays On My Mind),” one of the seminal soul ballads of the 1970s.

The Dells continued recording and touring through the 1970s and ’80s before receiving an unexpected career boost when filmmaker Robert Townsend enlisted them as consultants for his 1991 movie The Five Heartbeats, which drew heavily from the experiences of the Dells and other vocal groups of their era. The Dells recorded “A Heart Is A House For Love” for the soundtrack, and the song became a surprise R&B hit, putting the group back near the top of the charts more than three decades after their debut.

Allison also showed considerable resilience away from the stage. In 2000 he underwent successful triple-bypass heart surgery, but he returned to the group and continued as the Dells entered their sixth decade together.

The years gradually took their toll on the remarkable brotherhood. Original lead singer Johnny Funches died in 1998. Johnny Carter, whose unmistakable falsetto had been a cornerstone of the Dells for nearly five decades, died of cancer in 2009. The incomparable Marvin Junior died in 2013 after health problems involving his heart and kidneys. Original member Lucius McGill, who had left the group early in its history, died in 2014, and bass singer Chuck Barksdale died in 2019.

The Dells had effectively ended their performing career by 2012, closing an astounding run of roughly six decades. In 2004, they received perhaps their greatest institutional honor when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, recognition that was long overdue for one of the greatest vocal groups in soul music history.

In 2022, SoulTracks featured “Missin’ You,” a single by Allison’s son, musician and producer Verne “VA” Allison Jr., along with Marvin Junior Jr. The song reimagined “Baby Come Back,” which the younger Allison had earlier written and produced for the Dells, and used the voices and spirit of the original group to create what was essentially a musical tribute from the sons to their fathers and their remarkable legacy. Verne Sr. appeared in the “Missin’ You” video alongside fellow surviving Dell Mickey McGill, and his pride in the next generation was unmistakable.

With Allison’s passing, Michael “Mickey” McGill is the last surviving member of the Dells’ classic lineup.

Verne Allison may never have been the loudest voice in the Dells, but for nearly 60 years his voice was there — part of that unmistakable wall of harmony behind some of the most beautiful soul music ever recorded. Rest in peace, Verne Allison.