R&B/Doo-Wop Musician. A native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he was the lead singer of the 1950s to 1960s musical group, 'The Five Royales' (or The "5" Royales). The group formed in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1952, and besides Tanner, it included members, Jimmy Moore, Otto 'Jeff' Jeffries, Lowman Pauling, Elijah J. 'Eudell' Graham, Eugene 'Gene' Tanner, and Obadiah H. Carter. The group's music consisted of doo-wop, jump blues, rhythm and blues, soul, and gospel. Originally known as the 'Royals Sons Quintet,' they began recording on the Apollo Record Label,' in the early 1950s. After the brother of Lowman Pauling left the group, the band changed there name to the 'Five Royales.' In all, the group released seven Top Ten R&B hits including, 'Baby Don't Do It,' and 'Help Me Somebody,' which both landed at #1 in 1953. They left there Apollo Record Label in 1954, and signed with the King Record Label that same year. Throughout the next few years they released other recordings including 'Think,' 'Tears Of Joy,' and 'The Slummer The Slum.' Throughout the rest of the late 1950s and early 1960s, the group continued to record, but spent most of that time touring. They later left the King Record Label, and after a few other recordings, the group called it quits, and disbanded in 1965. The group's whose other recordings include, 'Mine Forevermore,' 'I'm With You,' 'The Feeling Is Real,' 'Thirty Second Lover,' 'Come On And Save Me,' 'One Mistake,' 'Monkey Hips And Rice,' 'Do The Cha Cha Cherry,' 'Mohawk Squaw,' 'School Girl,' 'Goof Ball,' 'She Did Me Wrong,' and 'Much In Need,' were also the inspiration for the like of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, The Shirelles, and the Mamas & The Papas. After the group broke up, Tanner worked in the dry cleaning business for several years, and in the 1990s he would often sing at oldies shows. Tanner's brother Eugene died in 1994, and he himself passed away from bone cancer in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on November 8, 2005, three weeks before his 79th birthday. Other members including Otto 'Jeff' Jefferies died in 1975, Elijah J. 'Eudell' Graham died in 1995, Obadiah H. Carter died in 1994, Lowman Pauling died in 1973, and Clarence Pauling in 1995. The last surviving member of the group Jimmy Moore, is now 80, and lives in a convalescent home.