Joe Simon

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Joe Simon 1971

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Biography

Like many other African-American artists from the era, Simon began singing in his father’s Baptist church. He pursued his vocal abilities full-time once the family moved to Richmond (near Oakland, California) in the late 1950s. There Simon joined the Golden West Gospel Singers and became influenced by Sam Cooke and Arthur Prysock. With this, the group decided to turn secular and recorded “Little Island Girl” as the Golden Tones in 1959.

Hush Records label owners Gary and Carla Thompson urged Simon to record on his own, and in 1964 Simon scored considerable success on the Vee-Jay label with “My Adorable One”. Simon scored again in 1965 on the Chicago based label with “Let’s Do It Over”, which landed a #13 spot on Billboard’s R&B chart. However, the Vee-Jay label folded soon after the latter song’s release and Simon found himself traveling across the country singing.

Simon caught the eye of Nashville, Tennessee R&B disc jockey John Richbourg during this time, and Richbourg not only became Simon’s manager/record producer but also brought the singer to Monument Records’ subsidiary label Sound Stage 7 in 1966.[1] That year Simon released “Teenager’s Prayer”, which peaked at #11 on Billboard’s R&B chart. Within the next two years, Simon released a string of hits: “(You Keep Me) Hanging On”, “The Chokin’ Kind” (Billboard Hot 100 #13), “Farther On Down The Road”, and “Yours Love”. “The Chokin’ Kind” was written by Harlan Howard, spent 12 weeks in the charts, and had sold one million copies by 16 June 1969.
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  • SimonePerrota

    Underrated genius

    19 Feb 4:49pm Reply

  • SuperSoulRadio

    Joe Simon & his music is very unique. You can even hear some country influence in his early songs like "Misty Blue" and other great song's on Sound Stage 7 Record Label....I think...It's been a while. A real favorite was "Nine Pound Steel".

    24 Nov 2012 Reply

  • jump29

    cool soul!

    21 Nov 2011 Reply

  • carolynekuka

    Can some body in this big wide world tell me where i can find "Stay Love " by Joe Simon Please!!!!. I have been looking since the "Eighties'.

    8 Nov 2011 Reply

  • richardneal

    Joe Simon: stone country/soul

    31 Aug 2011 Reply

  • discogodfather

    The man is smooth.

    27 Jun 2010 Reply

  • Braghati

    Fire Burning !!! thats real soul =D

    21 Mar 2010 Reply

  • QueenRee

    Amazing, perfect! I can listen it over and over!

    5 Apr 2009 Reply

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