Before he began a career as a promoter, DJ, and radio station owner and vice president, Archie Dale taught himself to play guitar at age fifteen. In his youth, Dale performed with the R&B groups The Playettes and The Skylights. Dale later settled on gospel music, and in 1969 he conscripted Willie Glover, Daniel Grant, Claude Crittenden, and Jessy White to join his newly formed group, which would become one of Louisville’s most notable gospel exports: Archie Dale and The Tones of Joy. The group has released fourteen albums and gone through many permutations, but three original members still remain and the group continues to perform today.
