R.I.P.: Gordon Stoker of The Jordanaires Was 88

Gordon Stoker, the tenor and manager of Elvis Presley's early vocal backing group, the Jordanaires died on March 27th after a long illness at the age of 88.

Stoker and the group were featured on such hits as "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel," "Love Me Tender," "Don't," "All Shook Up," "Love Me," "I Beg Of You," "Hard Headed Woman," "Jailhouse Rock," "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You," and many more.

Stoker and the other Jordanaires accompanied Elvis on his 1950's live appearances, including such high profile TV spots as The Ed Sullivan Show and The Steve Allen Show, as well as appearing in his early films Loving You and King Creole.

In addition to their work backing "The King," the Jordanaires were featured on numerous hits by Ricky Nelson, Ferlin Husky, Conway Twitty, Jimmy Dean, Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Kenny Rogers, and Ringo Starr, among others.