Obadiah Carter was a member of the "5" Royales, an R & B group in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1951, the group originated as a gospel quintet known as the Royal Sons, which originated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The members were locals, Johnny Tanner, Eugene Tanner, Lowman Pauling, Obadiah Carter and Jimmy Moore. The band sang in churches and on street corners, but eventually recorded in the Apollo Records Label in New York City. The Royal Sons transformed into an R & B group after their secular songs, "You Know I Know" and "Courage to Love," became popular. The name changed as well as the music, and the hometown quintet became commonly known as the "5" Royales.
Obadiah Carter was the North Carolina Heritage Award Recipient in 1992.
The "5" Royales were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.