Thel Spaniels was a vocal group that formed at Roosevelt High School in Gary, IN, in 1952. Originally called Pookie Hudson & The Hudsonaires, they soon changed their name to The Spaniels. After graduating high school, the group signed with Vee-Jay Records. Their first record, "Baby It's You", reached #10 on Billboard's R&B chart, but their next song was the one they're remembered for: 1954's "Goodnite Sweetheart Goodnite", which rose to #5 on the R&B charts. Although the group went through several personnel changes, it stayed with Vee-Jay Records until that label folded in 1966. In 1969 the group reconstituted itself and recorded some minor hits. They played regularly at Harlem's world-famous Apollo Theatre, and "Goodnite Sweetheart" appeared on the soundtrack of several hit films. For a while there were two Spaniels groups, one in Washington, DC, and the other based in the group's original hometown of Gary.
Members have included Ernest Warren, William Carey, Pookie Hudson , Willie C. Jackson, Opal Courtney Jr., Gerald Gregory, Joe Herndon.
