Jimmy Charles (born 1942) is an American singer with a distinctive "crying style". He was born in
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. and before he sang professionally, he performed at churches and community functions. When Charles was 12 years old, he began to study singing with jazz vocalist
Jimmy Scott
James Victor Scott (July 17, 1925 – June 12, 2014), known professionally as Little Jimmy Scott or Jimmy Scott, was an American jazz vocalist known for his high natural contralto voice and his sensitivity on ballads and love songs.
After ...
. At 16, he entered the amateur talent shows held at the
Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater is a music hall at 253 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) and Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue) in the Harlem neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is a not ...
in New York City and won the contest for four consecutive weeks.
Phil Medley
Philip Medley (April 9, 1916 – October 3, 1997) was an American songwriter, notable for his composition "Twist and Shout", which he wrote along with Bert Russell. The song was made famous by both The Isley Brothers and The Beatles. Medley also ...
, a songwriter, soon became involved in Charles' career. Impressed by his ability, Medley recorded a demo with Charles singing "
A Million to One
"A Million to One" is a song written by Phil Medley and first recorded by Jimmy Charles and the Revellettes.
Chart history
The single, released by Promo Records (P-1002), peaked at number five on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart.
C ...
", written by Medley. After playing it for Bill Lashley, an executive at Promo Records, the label signed Charles to a recording contract. He re-recorded Medley's song with vocal backing by the Revellettes, a trio of sisters Jackie and Evelyn Kline, and Dottie Hailstock, whom Charles knew from Patterson. After 16 takes, the master was chosen. The ballad-style song reached number five on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in September 1960. It was also released on the London label in both the UK and Australia, and it was issued by Reo in Canada.
"The Age of Love", Charles' next single, only reached number 47, well below "A Million to One". He also released two Christmas records in 1960: "Santa Won't Be Blue This Christmas" backed with "
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is a Christmas song with music and lyrics by British songwriter Tommie Connor and first recorded by American singer Jimmy Boyd in 1952. The song has since been covered by many artists, with the Ronettes's 1963 ...
" was the first; the second was "Christmasville USA" and "A Little White Mouse Called Steve". The latter received some airplay, but did not become a national chart hit. A subsequent release called "Just Whistle for Me" failed to attract much attention or airplay either, and his recording career came to an end. However, Charles continued to tour on the strength of "A Million to One" in the 1960s. Today, he resides in Texas, where he occasionally sings.