The Medallions, featuring the bluesy lead vocals of Vernon Green, was the first doo-wop group to record for one of Los Angeles's premiere doo-wop labels, Dootone Records. Owner Dootsie Williams was impressed with Green and asked him to put together a vocal group. The first release, "Buick 59" (based on Todd Rhodes' double-entendre R&B hit "Rocket 69"), backed with a ballad called "The Letter," was a double-sided West Coast hit. Green's famous recitation on "The Letter" contained the nonsense lyric, "the pulpitudes of love," which was later picked up by Steve Miller as "the pompitudes of love"--which became the title of a 1990s film.

Vernon Green rarely went into the studio with the same Medallions, and once or twice the Medallions recorded without him.

The original lineup was Vernon on lead, Randolph Bryant at tenor, Willie Graham at 2nd tenor, Rudolph Brown at baritone and a bass remembered only as Chuck, who was quickly replaced by Ira Foley. Among other early members were Donald Woods and Vernon's brother Jimmy on tenor, second tenors Charles Gardner and Albert Johnson, Billy Foster, bass singers Bubba Carter and Joe Williams, and so many others. At one point The Dootones stood in for The Medallions; at another time Vernon was backed by Don Julian & The Meadowlarks, even though their recordings were credited to The Medallions; The Medallions even became The Bel-Aires on Donald Woods' Flip singles.

Shortly after performing at the Doo-Wop Society's "Tribute to Hunter Hancock" show on March 4, 2000, Vernon Green suffered a debilitating stroke and never recovered. He died on Christmas Eve, 2000. His brother Jimmy Green and Billy Foster have continued The Medallions without him.

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