Gene And The Team Beats

Gene and the Team Beats were led by Gene Rumley of Martinsville, Virginia, who played sax and booked the band in the '60s after starting his musical career in a group called the Corvettes in high school. The Team Beats performed mostly in VA, NC, SC and DC from 1959-1968. The band started recording late in their career, with all three 45's released in 1966 and '67. They were the house band at the Peppermint Beach Club in Virginia Beach, Virginia for a summer in the mid-60s. The club was the sister of the renowned Peppermint Lounge in New York City and home of Joey Dee & The Starlighters of "Peppermint Twist" fame. The Team Beat's first single release, "I'll Carry On" was on Leatherwood. The personnel on "I Wanna Be Your Baby" was: Gene Rumley (sax and backup vocals); Charles Hairston (lead vocal); Lonnie Woodall (guitar and backup vocals); Rickie Fox (drums); Carl Barrow (bass). A fourth single release was planned and the backing track was recorded. The project was shelved after the group's new lead singer, Alfonzo Martin of Martinsville, was drafted. The group disbanded shortly thereafter. Martin served in the U.S. Army and rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant. He was killed by hostile fire in Vietnam.