Warren "Birdland" Suttles, the last remaining original member of the Ravens, died Friday (July 24) at the age of 84. Warren had sung with as a member of Wini Brown's Boyfriends before the baritone started the Ravens along with bass singer Jimmy Ricks, second tenor Leonard "Zeke" Puzey and high tenor Maithe Marshall in 1945. From 1948 to 1952, they amassed eleven chart records in the days when the R&B chart was only 10-15 songs. Among their R&B hits were "Rock Me All Night Long" (#4-1952), "Write Me A Letter" (#5-1948), "Send For Me If You Need Me" (#5-1948) and "Ol' Man River" (#10-1948). Warren left the group three times, finally for good in 1954. When "Warren Suttles and the Dreamers" and the "Warren Suttles Trio" failed, he went on to manage a bar. The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.
