Jimmy Soul

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Jimmy Soul (August 24, 1942 - June 25, 1988), born James McCleese in Weldon, North Carolina, was a vocalist.

He performed gospel as a teenager, later scouted by Frank Guida and recruited to sing songs handpicked for one of Guida’s other hit artists, Gary U.S. Bonds. Soul only ever had two chart hits, both which were Bond’s cast-offs, “Twistin’ Matilda”, in 1962, and the Billboard Hot 100 number one hit “If You Wanna Be Happy” (based on the calypso, “Ugly Woman”, by Roaring Lion) in 1963.

After unsuccessfully trying to follow up the success of those songs with one more album, he gave up his career as a musician and joined the United States Army.

He died of a heart attack in 1988.

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• If You Want To Be Happy
  Jimmy Soul

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• If You Wanna Be Happy... The Very Best of Jimmy…
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• The Best of Jimmy Soul
  Jimmy Soul

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• If You Wanna Be Happy: The Very Best of Jimmy Soul
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1		If You Wanna Be Happy			253
2		If You Want To Be Happy For The Rest Of Your Life			9
3		If You Want To Be Happy			6
4		If You Wanna Be Happy For The Rest Of Your Life			3
4		If You Wanna Be Happy (never make a pretty woman your wife)			3
6		Respectable			2
6		Happy for the Rest of Your Life			2
8		When Matilda Comes Back			1
8		If You Wanna Be Happy (UK NME Top40 18.7.63)			1
8		Twistin' Matilda			1
8		Hands Off			1
8		I Hate You Baby			1
8		Go 'Way Christina			1
8		Happy The Rest Of Your LIfe			1
8		I Love You So			1

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