Key Takeaways
- Verne Allison, a founding member and second tenor of The Dells, died on October 6 at age 90, according to his family.
- Allison helped shape six decades of R&B history through classics like “Oh, What a Night” and “Stay in My Corner,” earning The Dells induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
- The group’s music reached new generations through samples by Kanye West, Ghostface Killah, 50 Cent, and A Tribe Called Quest, with West flipping “Fonky Thang” for “Family Business.”
Before The Dells’ music became part of a Kanye West classic, Verne Allison helped shape the unmistakable harmonies that carried the group through six decades. Allison, a founding member and second tenor of the celebrated R&B act, has died at 90, leaving behind a body of work that connected doo-wop’s early years to modern hip-hop.
Allison’s family announced his death on Facebook. “I and my sister Sheila Allison Moore inform you of the passing of our father, LaVerne Allison, on October 6th, 2026,” his son wrote, according to SoulTracks, adding that the family appreciated the outpouring of support.
A cause of death was not reported. Allison underwent triple-bypass surgery in 2000.
Allison’s run with The Dells began long before the group collected awards or landed in rap sample credits. He formed the group with Marvin Junior, Johnny Funches, Chuck Barksdale, Michael McGill, and Lucius McGill while they were high school students in Harvey, Illinois.
Originally called the El-Rays, the singers became The Dells and scored an early breakthrough with “Oh, What a Night” in 1956. They later built a soul catalog anchored by records including “Stay in My Corner,” “The Love We Had (Stays on My Mind),” and “Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation.”
That catalog found new life as hip-hop producers dug through The Dells’ recordings. Kanye West sampled the group’s 1972 track “Fonky Thang, Diamond Rang” on “Family Business,” the soulful centerpiece from his 2004 debut, The College Dropout.
The timing created a striking cultural overlap: The same year West introduced his sound to the mainstream, The Dells entered both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
West was only one of several artists who pulled The Dells into a new era. Ghostface Killah, 50 Cent, A Tribe Called Quest, AZ, and 9th Wonder have also sampled their music, while Dru Hill covered “The Love We Had (Stays on My Mind)” for the 1998 album Enter the Dru.
The Dells also worked as creative consultants on Robert Townsend’s 1991 film The Five Heartbeats, which drew from the experiences of classic vocal groups. Their soundtrack cut “A Heart Is a House for Love” helped make them the first group to score a Top 40 R&B hit in five consecutive decades.
The Dells performed until 2012, closing out a roughly 60-year run with a farewell concert at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Their honors included the Rhythm and Blues Foundation’s Pioneer Award, recognition in the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame, and induction into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.
