the-persuasions

The Persuasions

Brooklyn, New York

For 40 years, Jerry Lawson (now fronting Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town) was lead singer and arranger for the legendary Persuasions. Since starting on the basketball courts and stoops of Bedford-Stuyvesant in New York in 1962, The Persuasions toured or recorded with (partial list): Joni Mitchell, Liza Minelli, John Hiatt, Van Morrison, Stevie Wonder, the Neville Brothers, Paul Simon, Country Joe McDonald, Lou Reed, Leon Redbone, Patti LaBelle. Frank Zappa signed them to their first album deal in 1968. Their 1977 album, “Chirpin” was acclaimed by Rolling Stone as one of the top 100 albums of the decade. Greil Marcus called them a “perfect marriage of passion and intelligence.” Contemporary a cappella groups such as Rockapella and Take Six routinely cite The Persuasions as a primary inspiration. The remaining Persuasions continue to tour and perform with other singers.

Connect