James Phelps (musician)

James Phelps (born April 2, 1932, Shreveport, Louisiana – died October 26, 2010, New York City) was an American R&B and gospel singer.

Phelps moved to Chicago in his teens and sang in several gospel groups, such as the , the (beside Lou Rawls) and the Soul Stirrers (with Sam Cooke).^[1] He founded the in the 1950s before starting a solo career in the 1960s.

He managed a hit single, "Love Is a Five-Letter Word", on Argo Records in 1965, which reached #12 on the Billboard R&B chart and #66 on the Billboard Hot 100. Phelps ceased recording by the 1970s but remained active as a performer of both R&B and gospel music.^[2]

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