The group was formed in 1959 by Stuart Avig (born 1943, lead vocals), Marty Coleman (lead, bass, baritone), and Art Glasser (second tenor), who had all attended Oak Park High School, and Jerry Light (bass, baritone), from Detroit Mumford High School.
The Valadiers toured widely in packages with R&B stars including Marv Johnson, the Isley Brothers and Wilbert Harrison, and continued to release occasional singles with little success until 1964, when they split up.
Coleman worked as a staff songwriter for Motown under the name Martin Cohen,[4] placing songs with The Spinners, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and others.
[2] In 2003, Avig reformed the group with new members Andy Alonzo, Donald Revels, and Nick Marinelli.
[6][7] The current group, consisting of Avig, Revels, Charlie Valverde, and Charles Davis, continues to perform together as the Valadiers and The Shades of Blue.