Faith, Hope & Charity

This Tampa, Florida-based soul trio originally featured Brenda Hillard, Albert Bailey, and Zulema Cusseaux, and were known as the Lovelles. As Faith, Hope & Charity, the trio began recording for the Maxwell label in 1970, also the year they released their first album, a self-titled set. Van McCoy wrote and produced the first three singles. One of them, "So Much Love," reached 14 on the R&B chart. Cusseaux departed in 1971, and Hillard and Bailey remained the front duo -- as heard on 1972's Sussex-issued Heavy Love, produced by McCoy, Joe Cobb, and Mike Stokes -- until Diane Destry joined them in 1974. The following year, the group scored their only number one R&B hit with "To Each His Own," off another self-titled album, this one released by RCA. After a second RCA album, 1976's Life Goes On, they moved to 20th Century for a third self-titled album in 1978. Its "Don't Pity Me" was an R&B Top 20 release that year. It would be the group's last. They split up shortly thereafter. ~ Ron Wynn