Although she should not be labeled a 'one-hit wonder', it's difficult to think about Fontella Bass and not immediately remember her signature song, 1965's "Rescue Me." The talented R&B singer, who was 72 when she died in her home city of St. Louis on December 26th, had several other good-charting records during her career, but … Continue reading Fontella Bass And Her Song
Tag: R&B
The Inspiration Of Grover Washington, Jr.
I can sometimes be a little oblique in my thinking, but whenever I come across a well-known artist with a 'Jr' added to his name, I always wonder about his father. Was he a musician and did he help his son get started? And was he so renowned himself that his son found it difficult … Continue reading The Inspiration Of Grover Washington, Jr.
Jimmy Soul – The Wonder Boy
Pop music has always been filled with stories of prematurely shortened careers -- and lives -- and we've featured our share of them on the GMC. Another good example would be Jimmy Soul, who was known as the 'Wonder Boy' during his childhood. (More later about that.) As an adult performer he hit the top … Continue reading Jimmy Soul – The Wonder Boy
Rock And Roll – The Early Days
Nailing down the details of the origins of rock and roll has always been a little difficult, but that hasn't stopped anyone from trying (including yours truly, here on the GMC). The truth is that it all came about from a combination of various musical influences, but it is possible to identify key moments, like … Continue reading Rock And Roll – The Early Days
Tommy Edwards’ Big Hit Was A Do-Over
One of my favorite records of all time is Tommy Edwards' 1958 chart-topper, "It's All In The Game." It was by far his biggest hit and is still a very familiar song to most music fans even though Edwards died in 1969. But did you know that he recorded a very different version way back … Continue reading Tommy Edwards’ Big Hit Was A Do-Over
The Hues Corporation’s Business Was Music
I've always been fascinated by some of the names chosen by musical groups. Many of them are very clever and inventive, although some require further explanation. A good example is a pop group with the unlikely name of the Hues Corporation, which enjoyed a few years of popularity in the mid-1970s and is now mostly … Continue reading The Hues Corporation’s Business Was Music
The Essex – The Sound Of Singin’ Marines
A common thread among many performers has always been how they sharpened their musical skills while in the armed forces, and then made a career for themselves in the years following. But a R&B group known as The Essex did things a little differently. The members of the combo were all United States Marines, and … Continue reading The Essex – The Sound Of Singin’ Marines
Julia Lee – Queen Of The Dirty Blues
For several decades beginning in the 1930s there was a type of music known as the 'dirty blues', and it was very popular but you wouldn't hear it on the radio. You could find it in live performances or on jukeboxes in certain kinds of places, and you could also buy records -- but you … Continue reading Julia Lee – Queen Of The Dirty Blues
Elvis Followed Big Mama Thornton
I would guess that anyone reading this is familiar with Elvis Presley's 1956 rendition of "Hound Dog," but the King wasn't the first singer to hit the top of the charts with the song. That would be Big Mama Thornton, the blues-singing harmonica wiz whose record of the song sat atop R&B charts while Elvis … Continue reading Elvis Followed Big Mama Thornton
Ernie Fields Was Always ‘In The Mood’
One of the most iconic songs from the big band era was Glenn Miller's "In The Mood," which became a national hit for the bandleader just before the start of World War II. But that wasn't the only popular rendition of the song. According to ALLMUSIC, it has generated more than 2500 different recordings through … Continue reading Ernie Fields Was Always ‘In The Mood’
Geezer Music Club 