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Stacy Johnson (singer)
Stacy Johnson (April 13, 1945 – May 11, 2017) was an American R&B singer and songwriter best known as a vocalist in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Johnson also released solo records and sang in the St. Louis based group the Sharpees led by Benny Sharp. Life and career Johnson was born in St. Louis, Missouri on April 13, 1945. Johnson, the oldest of six, began singing in locals groups around Soldan High School. Johnson admired Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, the Spaniels, and Little Anthony and the Imperials. In 1958, he joined the doo-wop group the Superiors. They began appearing in local talent shows. The Superiors competed against other groups with Oliver Sain's band backing them. Dave Dixon, a popular disc jockey at KATZ, hosted "Shower of Stars," a competition for aspiring singers and musicians. At one of those shows, Johnson befriended another singer named Vernon Guy from The Cool Sounds. Although underage, the group was permitted to perform at clubs like the Whirlaway, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner were an American musical duo consisting of husband and wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by Ike Turner's band the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocalists called the Ikettes. The Ike & Tina Turner Revue was regarded as "one of the most potent live acts on the R&B circuit." The duo had a string of R&B hits with their early recordings "A Fool In Love", "It's Gonna Work Out Fine", "I Idolize You", " Poor Fool", and " Tra La La La La". The release of "River Deep – Mountain High" in 1966, followed by a tour of the UK with The Rolling Stones, increased their popularity in Europe. Their later works are noted for interpretive soul-infused re-arrangements of rock songs such as "Come Together", "Honky Tonk Woman", and "Proud Mary", the latter of which won them a Grammy Award in 1972. Ike & Tina Turner received the first Golden European Record Award for their international hit "Nutbush City Limi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vernon Guy
Vernon Guy (March 21, 1945 – September 10, 1998) was an American R&B vocalist based in St. Louis. Early in his career he toured with bandleader Ike Turner in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Guy released a few solo records on Turner's labels before forming the Sharpees with Benny Sharp in the mid 1960s. He later performed with musicians Bennie Smith and Johnnie Johnson. Life and career Guy was born in St. Louis on March 21, 1945. He began singing gospel music with his brother in the vocal group the Seven Gospel Singers. Inspired by singer Frankie Lymon, Guy began singing secular music and the group was renamed the Cool Sounds. The Cool sounds competed in local talent shows. They won Dave Dixon's "Shower of Stars," sponsored by KATZ at Kiel Auditorium. The prize was supposed to be a recording session, but that didn't materialize. The group continued performing, now at local clubs in St. Louis and East St. Louis. They had gigs at the Manhattan Club, the Riviera, the Dynaflow and th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Johnnie Taylor
Johnnie Harrison Taylor (May 5, 1934 – May 31, 2000) was an American recording artist and songwriter who performed a wide variety of genres, from blues, rhythm and blues, soul, and gospel to pop, doo-wop, and disco. In 2022, Taylor was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Biography Early years Johnnie Taylor was born in Crawfordsville, Arkansas, United States. He grew up in West Memphis, Arkansas, performing in gospel groups as a youngster. As an adult, he had one release, "Somewhere to Lay My Head", on Chicago's Vee Jay Records label in the 1950s, as part of the gospel group The Highway Q.C.'s, which included a young Sam Cooke. Taylor's singing then was strikingly close to that of Cooke, and he was hired to take Cooke's place in the latter's gospel group, the Soul Stirrers, in 1957. A few years later, after Cooke had established his independent SAR Records, Taylor signed on as one of the label's first acts and recorded "Rome Wasn't Built In A Day" in 1962. However, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Freddie King
Freddie King (September 3, 1934December 28, 1976) was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert King and B.B. King, none of whom were blood related). Mostly known for his soulful and powerful voice and distinctive guitar playing, King had a major influence on electric blues music and on many later blues guitarists. Born in Gilmer, Texas, King became acquainted with the guitar at the age of six. He started learning the guitar from his mother and his uncle. King moved to Chicago when he was a teenager; there he formed his first band the Every Hour Blues Boys with guitarist Jimmie Lee Robinson and drummer Frank "Sonny" Scott. As he was repeatedly being rejected by Chess Records, he got signed to Federal Records, and got his break with single "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" and instrumental " Hide Away", which reached number five on the ''Billboard'' magazine's rhythm and blues chart in 1961. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robbie Montgomery
Robbie Montgomery (born June 16, 1940) is an American singer and restaurateur. She is noted for being one of the original Ikettes in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in the 1960s. After her tenure as an Ikette, she was a member of the Mirettes, and then became a "Night Tripper" for Dr. John. In the 1970s, Montgomery was a backing vocalist for acts such as Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, the Rolling Stones, and Joe Cocker. She later created the Sweetie Pie's franchise, and starred in the award-winning reality series ''Welcome to Sweetie Pie's''. Early life Montgomery was born on June 16, 1940, in Columbus, Mississippi, to Ora Gray and James Montgomery. They lived with her great grandmother Miss Pathenia, who was an American Indian. When she was six years old, her family moved to St. Louis, Missouri. She grew up in the Pruitt-Igoe projects as the oldest of nine siblings. Her siblings are James, Walter, Robert, George, Everett, Linda and Janice. Montgomery was raised a Baptist but i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Ikettes
The Ikettes, originally The Artettes, were a trio (sometimes quartet) of female backing vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Despite their origins, the Ikettes became successful artists in their own right. In the 1960s they had hits such as "I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)" and "Peaches 'N' Cream." In 2017, ''Billboard'' ranked "I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)" No. 63 on its list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time. The group started as “The Artettes”, the backing group of Art Lassiter. The first official incarnation of The Ikettes was composed of Delores Johnson, Eloise Hester and Josie Jo Armstead. The most popular line-up consisted of Robbie Montgomery, Venetta Fields, and Jessie Smith. It was this trio that later morphed into The Mirettes. As the 1960s progressed, the Ikettes became known for their sexy onstage appearance; minidresses, long hair and high-energy dance routines that mirrored their mentor Tina Turner. "They represent me, and in my act they gotta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ike Turner
Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s with his then-wife Tina Turner as the leader of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. A native of Clarksdale, Mississippi, Turner began playing piano and guitar as a child and then formed the Kings of Rhythm as a teenager. His first recording, "Rocket 88" (credited to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats), is considered a contender for the distinction of first rock and roll song. During the 1950s, Turner also worked as a talent scout and producer for Sun Records and Modern Records. He was instrumental in the early careers of various blues musicians such as B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, and Bobby "Blue" Bland. In 1954, Turner relocated to East St. Louis where his Kings of Rhythm became one of the most renowned acts in Greater St. Louis. He later forme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jimmy Thomas
Jimmy Thomas (January 20, 1939 – April 25, 2022) was an American soul singer and songwriter. He was best known as a vocalist for Ike Turner. Thomas joined Turner's Kings of Rhythm in 1958, and remained with the band when the Ike & Tina Turner Revue was formed in 1960. He released solo singles on Turner's labels Sue, Sputnik, and Sonja Records. After his departure from Turner, Thomas continued recording as a solo artist, eventually relocating to London. He formed his own label, Osceola Records, in 1979. Life and career Early life Thomas was born in Osceola, Arkansas on January 20, 1939. Raised by his aunt and uncle, Thomas grew up listening to blues musicians such as Big Maceo, Tampa Red, Walter Davis, and Sonny Boy Williamson. In his teens, Thomas formed his first band called the Rock and Roll Trays. They performed popular R&B and blues tunes in clubs around Osceola. In 1958, Albert King recommended that Thomas travel to East St. Louis and audition for a spot as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Big George Brock
George Brock (May 16, 1932 – April 10, 2020), billed as Big George Brock, was an American blues musician. A native of Mississippi, he moved to Missouri in the 1950s and operated a series of nightclubs. He played alongside Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed, and Albert King. Brock starred in the 2006 film ''Hard Times'', a documentary about his life. Life and career Brock was born in Grenada, Mississippi on May 16, 1932. By the time he was eight, he was working as a sharecropper picking cotton. Brock was surrounded by blues music, and recalled, "the blues grew like grass out of the ground." His father taught him and his brothers how to play harmonica as a child. As a teenager he moved to Mattson, Mississippi. There he met Muddy Waters, and they performed together on weekends. In the late 1940s he moved to Walls, Mississippi. While working as a pipeliner on Highway 61, Brock met Howlin' Wolf. He became his roadie and performed with him. Brock also met Memphis Minnie in Wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Albert King
Albert Nelson (April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992), known by his stage name Albert King, was an American guitarist and singer who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists of all time. He is perhaps best known for his popular and influential album ''Born Under a Bad Sign'' (1967) and its title track. He, B.B. King, and Freddie King, all unrelated, were known as the "Kings of the Blues". The left-handed King was known for his "deep, dramatic sound that was widely imitated by both blues and rock guitarists." He was once nicknamed "The Velvet Bulldozer" because of his smooth singing and large size–he stood taller than average, with sources reporting or , and weighed –and also because he drove a bulldozer in one of his day jobs early in his career. King was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1983. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2011, he was ranked number 13 on ''Rolling Stone''s 100 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joe Tex
Yusuf Hazziez (born Joseph Arrington Jr.; August 8, 1935 – August 13, 1982), known professionally as Joe Tex, was an American singer and musician who gained success in the 1960s and 1970s with his brand of Southern soul, which mixed the styles of funk, country, gospel, and rhythm and blues. His career started after he was signed to King Records in 1955 following four wins at the Apollo Theater. Between 1955 and 1964, he struggled to find hits, and by the time he finally recorded his first hit, "Hold What You've Got" in 1964, he had recorded 30 previous singles that were deemed failures on the charts. He went on to have four million-selling hits, "Hold What You've Got" (1965), " Skinny Legs and All" (1967), " I Gotcha" (1972), and "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)" (1977). Joe Tex was nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame six times, most recently in 2017. Early life Joe Tex was born Joseph Arrington, Jr. in Rogers, Texas, in Bell County to Joseph Arring ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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