Two bands have gone by the name The Channels. 1.) The Channels formed in 1955 around the singers Larry Hampden, Billy Morris, and Edward Doulphin; they started as a quintet with two additional part-time members, but soon after they permanently added Earl Michael Lewis and Clifton Wright, formerly of The Lotharios. Lewis was the group's main songwriter, writing (among others) their regional hit "The Closer You Are". The Channels recorded for record labels Gone, Fury, Port, Hit, Enjoy, and Groove.