▁Both ▁also ▁sang ▁in ▁the ▁g ospel ▁group ▁The ▁Har le ma ires ; ▁Frank ie ▁and ▁his ▁brothers ▁Lewis ▁and ▁How ie ▁sang ▁with ▁the ▁Har le ma ire ▁Juni ors ▁( a ▁fourth ▁brother , ▁Tim my , ▁was ▁a ▁singer , ▁though ▁not ▁with ▁the ▁Har le ma ire ▁Juni ors ). ▁The ▁L ym ons ▁strugg led ▁to ▁make ▁ends ▁meet , ▁so ▁L ym on ▁began ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁gro c ery ▁boy ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 0 . ▁At ▁ 1 2 ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁L ym on ▁heard ▁a ▁local ▁do o - w op ▁group ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Coupe ▁De ▁V illes ▁at ▁a ▁school ▁talent ▁show . ▁He ▁became ▁friends ▁with ▁the ▁lead ▁singer , ▁H erman ▁Santiago , ▁and ▁he ▁eventually ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁group , ▁now ▁calling ▁itself ▁both ▁The ▁Er min es ▁and ▁The ▁Prem iers . ▁Dennis ▁Jackson ▁of ▁Columb us , ▁Georgia , ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁influ ences ▁in ▁L ym on ' s ▁life . ▁His ▁personal ▁don ation ▁of ▁$ 5 0 0 ▁helped ▁start ▁L ym on ' s ▁career . ▁ ▁One ▁day ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁a ▁neighbor ▁gave ▁The ▁Prem iers ▁several ▁love ▁letters ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁written ▁to ▁him ▁by ▁his ▁girl friend , ▁hoping ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁boys ▁insp iration ▁to ▁write ▁their ▁own ▁songs . ▁Mer chant ▁and ▁Santiago ▁adapted ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁letters ▁into ▁a ▁song ▁called ▁"