Wesley Johnson known by his stage name Wess (August 13, 1945 — September 21, 2009) was an American-born
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
singer
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
and
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
ist, perhaps mostly known for representing
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
along with
Dori Ghezzi
Dori Ghezzi (born 30 March 1946) is an Italian singer who was active as a recording artist between 1966 and 1989. In the 1970s, Ghezzi worked mainly in a duo with American singer Wess, and the couple represented Italy in the 1975 Eurovision Song ...
in the
Eurovision Song Contest 1975
The Eurovision Song Contest 1975 was the 20th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Stockholm, Sweden, following the country's victory at the with the song " Waterloo" by ABBA. Organised by the European Broadcasting Un ...
in
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, placing third.
Originally from North Carolina, Wess moved to Italy in the 1960s in pursuit of a musical career. He formed a successful duo with Ghezzi and achieved some hits in Italy, such as "Voglio stare con te", "Come stai? Con chi sei?" and "Un corpo e un'anima". Wess also was a singer and played bass guitar for the soul-funk band Wess & The Airedales in the 1960s and early 1970s.
He died in New York during his United States tour when a breathing crisis led to his death.
Personal life
He was the father of Deborah Johnson and UK-based R&B singer
Romina Johnson, who often accompanied him as a backing singer.
In popular media
In its winter 2018 issue, ''Oxford American'' magazine published an essay about Johnson's life as a young performer in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and how his earliest experiences affected his career in Italy.
See also
List of bass guitarists
The following is a list of notable electric bass guitar players. The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the finger
A finger is a limb of the body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in ...
References
External links
Discography of Wess JohnsonDiscography of Wess & The Airedales
1945 births
2009 deaths
Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Italy
Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1975
Italian people of African-American descent
American male bass guitarists
20th-century African-American male singers
20th-century Italian male singers
20th-century bass guitarists
American expatriates in Italy
American expatriate musicians
20th-century American bass guitarists
London Records artists
United Artists Records artists
African-American guitarists
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