You could call Cody Childs and The Ladies of Soul the “staple singers” of local public libraries. For at least a decade, the quartet’s wildly popular performances paying tribute to classic soul artists like Nat “King” Cole, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, and groups from The Shirelles to The Temptations, have become outer borough mainstays, particularly in the Bronx and Queens.

Judging from the diverse and enthusiastic standing-room-only crowd that filled Bronx Library Center’s auditorium to hear Childs and his backup trio on Feb. 27, the group’s following is in no danger of dwindling.

Cody Childs and The Ladies of Soul is a somewhat offbeat concept, but it’s hard to find a quartet of baby boomers working city performance venues with a more appealing act. Childs, a charismatic guy with a deep baritone voice and smooth moves on stage, shares the space with an energetic, but unlikely, three-part ensemble made up of his Aunt “Peaches” (Lisette Armstrong-Smith) on drums, Debra Robinson on bass guitar, and Roxann McDade, on keyboards.

The group is a particular audience favorite in the Bronx Library Center on Kingsbridge Road, with at least two performances a year.  And the combo’s members make no secret of the fact that they love the “Boogie Down Bronx,” where there is dancing in the aisles and lots of grooving in the seats.  Childs savors belting out the historic oldie, “Money,” recorded in 1959 by Motown’s first artist, Barrett Strong, and later covered by The Beatles.  When he sings “Money” in the Bronx, it’s traditional for someone from the front row to start waving bills at him – all in good fun.

This passionate troupe owns the stage from the moment they play their first note, sharing their big talent and infectious energy and love for classic soul (a genre also called Rhythm and Blues, or R&B, to some).  Don’t forget that they are usually playing in libraries, churches, union halls and senior centers, which tend to offer a modest flat fee to group acts. The public enjoys the concerts, free of charge. It seems obvious that the foursome is not doing it for the money.

Childs, employed full-time as a software specialist, started singing in a Brooklyn church choir when he was a teenager. He later studied jazz vocals at City College in Harlem, and picked up degrees in engineering and information science.  He began singing professionally in 1990. Armstrong-Smith, a registered nurse, took up drums as a preteen, sharing a love of music with her mother (Child’s maternal grandmother), who often sang gospel and blues songs at family gatherings.

Robinson, a retired elementary school teacher, was another friend of Armstrong-Smith’s from their Bedford-Stuyvesant church choir. She had been playing bass guitar since childhood, influenced by her father, a professional gospel quartet member. So, she joined Childs and his aunt to become the Cody Childs Trio, which started booking performances in Bronx libraries and other city venues in 2006.

After five years of performing, the threesome decided that they needed a keyboardist and versatile backup vocalist who could sing both gospel and R&B.  McDade, an Air Force veteran who had been a church pianist for years, was brought on in 2011. The group’s evolution would be forever tied to the Bronx, since her first performance with The Ladies of Soul was at a Bronx Library Center gospel concert in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King that year.  The group’s popularity grew, and more bookings in five borough library branches followed. Today, they perform all over the metropolitan area.

Childs says he is passionate about spreading the joy of classic soul music, and the inspiring stories of its pioneers. His goal is to retire in 5 to 6 years, and begin to book even larger performance venues.

To see the group’s upcoming concert dates and repertoire of themed musical tributes available for booking (for public or private events), visit www.codychilds.com.  Their next performances in Bronx branch libraries are scheduled for April 2 at St. George and April 9 at Soundview. Details at www.nypl.org.