| Al
Chisholm
First Tenor, Second Tenor, Baritone and Lead
Al Chisholm was born August 28, 1944 in New York, New
York. He was raised in Hartford, Connecticut until his
family moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1959. There he attended
East Technical High School and in his spare time sang
under the streetlights, on the corners, at sock hops and
parties.
After graduation, Al enlisted in the United States Air
Force. He was stationed in Europe, and in both France
and England, Al performed singing engagements on military
facilities and at gigs in the surrounding towns and villages.
When his 3½ year tour ended, Al returned to his
home in Cleveland.
Al sang with a number of gospel groups and choirs. After
hooking up with a group called The Sensational Saints,
he participated in his first recording session and first
road tour.
In the early eighties, Al relocated to Detroit with an
R&B vocal trio called The Platinum Riders. He was
delighted when the group took the R&B category at
the first Metro Times Music Awards. Al continued to win
awards from other competitions including placing second
in the 1985 NAACP Statewide Talent Search. He also spread
his creative wings to theater by acting in local plays,
including the performances, "Queen Esther" and
"Wine In The Wilderness." When not entertaining
with his singing and acting talents, Al worked in the
medical community as a Certified Nursing Assistant.
Al left The Platinum Riders and became a member of The
Falcons (a group that had charted "You're So Fine"
in 1959 with future-Contour Joe Stubbs on lead and "I
Found A Love" in 1962). He remained with The Falcons
until 1993, when he joined THE CONTOURS, singing first
tenor, second tenor, baritone and lead. At the same time,
Al gave up his medical career to devote full time to the
group and its busy performance schedule.
Al has been married to his wife, Sharon, for approximately
24 years. His four grown children have all left the state
of Michigan; two live in California, one is in Atlanta,
Georgia and the other lives in Cleveland, Ohio.
In addition to his singing, Al is an active member of
the community. He is President and Co-Founder of The Warren
Foundation. This organization brings diabetes awareness
and free testing to the public via local churches. In
2001, Al received the Peace Dove Award for his community
activism. |