Melvin Harden

Mel (born, November 30, 1942 - died, July 26, 2026) was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi and began his music career by singing gospel music as a teenager alongside his cousin Tim McPherson in a local ensemble called The Welcome Travelers. He also developed his instrumentation skills by playing guitar and drums for his uncles' gospel band.
Looking for professional music opportunities, the cousins moved from Mississippi north to St. Louis and eventually to Chicago. R&B legend Gene Chandler discovered the cousins in Chicago and signed them to the Bamboo imprint. Chandler produced their very first self-written single, "Backfield in Motion", on Stax Records, in 1969, which became a massive million-selling hit and launched them into national fame, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard chart and was later covered by Hall & Oates.
Their active run as a duo concluded shortly after the release of their self-titled third studio album in late 1973, after which they quietly disbanded due to shifting music trends.