Black Merda (US/blaek ‘m@rd@r/blak murd–@r) [a] is an American rock group from Detroit. It was active from the mid-1960s through the early 1970s, and regrouped in 2005. The core band members are guitarist/vocalist Anthony Hawkins, bassist/guitarist/vocalist VC L. Veasey, and guitarist/vocalist Charles Hawkins, plus original drummer/vocalist Tyrone Hite. Hite was a Detroit native; Veasey and the Hawkins brothers were born in Mississippi. Hite was raised in Detroit by VC Lamont Veasey (also known under VC L Veasey and Veesee L Veasey. met in elementary school. Hawkins and Tyrone Hite first met at Detroit’s high school in the 1960s. They all went on to work as session and backup musicians in Detroit over the next few years. Veasey and Hawkins were often used as session musicians by companies like Fortune Records, Golden World Studios and Don Davis. Hite was originally a singer who worked in sessions before he took up the drums. Hawkins’ house would be the place where the majority of rehearsals took place. There were many singers who would become stars, including Stevie Wonder, Dave Ruffin, Gwen Owens and Edwin Starr. The house of Mrs. Hawkins was filled with music almost every single day during the early years of Black Merda. Veasey, Hawkins and Hite first performed as The Impacts. Then, they were The Soul Agents supporting Edwin Starr and Gene Chandler. Wilson Pickett and The Spinners. The Soul Agents supported Billy Butler, The Artistics and Wilson Pickett.
