David Walker (May 5, 1941 – March 12, 1986), better known by his

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

Bunker Hill, was an American

rhythm & blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

, rock and

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

singer. Born and raised in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

,"Bunker Hill, The Girl Can't Dance", at ''On The Record''
Retrieved 18 May 2014 Walker sought a career in professional

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

, at one point becoming the sparring partner of

Archie Moore Archie Moore (born Archibald Lee Wright; December 13, 1913 – December 9, 1998) was an American professional boxer and the longest reigning World Light Heavyweight Champion of all time (December 1952 – May 1962). He had one of the longest ...

.Otfinoski, Steve. ''The Golden Age of Novelty Songs''. Billboard Books, 2000, p. 61. He left boxing to pursue a career singing gospel, and in the late 1950s joined the

Mighty Clouds of Joy The Mighty Clouds of Joy are an American traditional gospel music quartet. Joe Ligon Bio: Willie Joe Ligon was born on October 11, 1936, and died on December 11, 2016 (80 years, 2 months). He dedicated his life to Jesus making many hit songs ...

. In 1962 he was offered the chance to record a secular

novelty song A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and w ...

by manager Ray Vernon, the brother of

Link Wray Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr. (May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist who became popular in the late 1950s. ''Rolling Stone'' placed Wray at No. 45 of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. In 2013 ...

. Adopting the pseudonym Bunker Hill so as not to lose his position with the Mighty Clouds of Joy, he recorded several tracks with a band including Link Wray on guitar. One of the tracks, "Hide and Go Seek", became a

hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...

in the United States, reaching #27 on the

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

R&B charts and #33 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was featured in the 1988 movie ''

Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...

''. Despite hiding his identity, he was still found out and asked to leave the Mighty Clouds of Joy as a result. His later life is obscure, although it is believed that he did perform occasionally as a member of the Mighty Clouds of Joy before leaving the music industry in the late 1960s. According to researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc, he died in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

in 1986, aged 44.

Discography

Link Wray recordings

* Hide & Go Seek, Part 1 / Hide & Go Seek, Part 2 (6/1962) * Red Ridin' Hood And The Wolf / Nobody Knows (11/1962) * There's A Hole In The Middle Of The Moon / Friday Night Dance Party (1963) ** b-side features Bunker Hill on background vocals; possibly unreleased * The Girl Can't Dance / You Can't Make Me Doubt My Baby (9/1963)

The Mighty Clouds Of Joy singles

* Somebody Touched Me / Walk Around My Lord (1958) ** group credited as "Joe Ligon with The Sensational Wonders" ** David Walker on background vocals * Rock'n'Roll Dice / Rock Honey Rock (1959) ** Whalen J. Jones possibly features The Sensational Wonders with David Walker on background vocals * Silly Symphony Band / Don't Teep Me Tanding (1959) ** Carolyn Waits with The Sensational Wonders ** probably features David Walker on background vocals on a-side * Rockin' Rollin' Baby Moon / Forlorn Heart (1959) ** Wailin' J. Jones with The Sensational Wonders, probably with David Walker on background vocals * Build Me A Cabin In Glory / That's What He Is To Me (1959) ** group credited as "The Sensational Clouds Of Joy" ** lead vocals by Joe Ligon, possibly features David Walker on background vocals * Jesus Lead Us Safely / Ain't Got Long Here (1961) ** features David Walker on lead vocals on a-side * My Religion / I'll Be Alright (10/1961) ** features David Walker on 2nd lead vocals on a-side * Sleep Tight / True Love (Is Hard To Find) (1961) ** possibly features The Mighty Clouds of Joy on backing vocals on a-side * Nearer To Thee / You'll Never Know (1963) ** features David Walker lead vocals on b-side

The Mighty Clouds Of Joy albums

* ''Family Circle'' (1963) ** Features "You'll Never Know"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Bunker 1941 births 1986 deaths American rhythm and blues singers Singers from Washington, D.C. 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers