Richard A. Brookes was born on the 13th of May 1940 in Chattanooga, Tennessee as the eleventh child of John Wesley and Mattie Stephens Brooks. While attending The Howard High School he formed a vocal group known as the Pleasures with Richard wooing his audiences as a juvenile Elvis impersonator. Later Richard joined his older brother Arthur’s group ‘The Four Roosters And A Chick’ their line up being Arthur Brooks, Fred Cash, Sam Gooden, Emanuel Thompson and his sister Catherine Thompson. Both Brooks Brothers came to the same conclusion that they stood a greater chance of success if they moved north to Chicago but the only member of the group to accompany them was Sam Gooden, with the rest of the group choosing to remain in Chattanooga.