 In the 1950s, Cheeks was ordained as a minister in the Church of Holiness Science in Detroit; Cheeks, who had dropped out of school at an early age, was largely illiterate for most of his life, but developed a profound knowledge of the bible via recordings on 78rpm gramophone discs.During this time Cheeks also toured and recorded with the Mighty Clouds of Joy.After going into semi-retirement in 1960, Cheeks returned to action with a new group, the Four Knights.