The Stairsteps were discovered and produced by Curtis Mayfield,
this young quintet enjoyed a consistent run of R & B chart success, with
releases on the Windy C, Curtom and Buddah labels.

Their father, Clarence Burke Sr. was a detective in the Chicago police department
and their mother was Betty Burke.

The group got its name, the Five Stairsteps, when Momma
Stairsteps as Betty Burke was known, noticed that her kids looked like stair
steps when stood next to each other according to their ages.

Most of the band members, Clarence Jr., Alohe, James,
Dennis, and Kenneth attended Harlan
High School.

The unit's material - 'You Waited Too Long' (1966), 'World
Of Fantasy' (1966), 'Come Back' (1966) and 'Danger, She's A Stranger' (1967) -
ranged from gentle dance songs to orchestrated ballads, and their fledgling
talent was recognized in 1967 with a NATRA award as that year's outstanding R
& B group

These stories can be found by clicking here. Look under Harlan Memories.