Brighter Side of Darkness--Love Jones (1972)

    Just like with every other trend in entertainment, the success of the Jackson 5 put talent scouts and promoters on alert looking for the next R&B group with a diminutive singer. And just like most trends, the ones who come after are never quite as good. For at least one song however, the Brighter Side of Darkness found themselves on the charts. Led by 12 year old singer Darryl Lamont, the group struck gold with, "Love Jones" in late 1972. The rest of the group, who were all quite a bit older, were singing as a group in high school when promoter Anna Preston began working with them, and added Lamont to the mix. There was a followup single, but it did not chart. The group split up when three of the member were fired because of some "unprofessional" behavior in connection with an appearance on "Soul Train". New members were hired, but they never released another album.