The Violinaires have been an institution in Detroit gospel music since 1952, appearing under a variety of names — usually the Violinaires or the Fantastic Violinaires — and being led by a number of singers, including founder Willie Banks and Robert Blair, who led the group until his death in 2001, when he was replaced by pastor Danny Walker.
The Violinaires made their recording debut in 1953, when “Another Soldier Gone” appeared on the local Drummond imprint. The following year, it was re-released for the secular market under the name the Question Marks by Swing Time Records, and this crossover attempt led the vocal group to pursue R&B in the late ’50s
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