behindthegrooves:

On this day in music history: February 17, 1962 - “Duke Of Earl” by Gene Chandler hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 3 weeks, also topping the R&B singles chart for 5 weeks on the same date. Written by Bernice Williams, Eugene Dixon (aka Gene Chandler), and Earl Edwards, the song will originate as a vocal warm up exercise in the doo wop group The Dukays, in which Chandler and Edwards were both members. “Duke” will become the first million selling single for Chicago-based independent label Vee-Jay Records. The song will be covered numerous times over the years and will be sampled as the basis of Cypress Hill’s “Hand On The Pump” in 1991.