Jump to content

Jesse Belvin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jesse Belvin
Compilation CD cover
Compilation CD cover
Background information
Birth nameJesse Lorenzo Belvin
Born(1932-12-15)December 15, 1932
San Antonio, Texas,U.S.
DiedFebruary 6, 1960(1960-02-06)(aged 27)
Hope, Arkansas,U.S.
GenresR&B,doo-wop
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano
Years active1950–60
LabelsModern Records,Dot,Impact,RCA,Recorded In HollywoodTender Records
Spouse
​
​
(m.1953; their deaths1960)​

Jesse Lorenzo Belvin(December 15, 1932 – February 6, 1960) was an American singer, pianist and songwriter popular in the 1950s. Belvin co-wrote the 1954Penguins'doo-wopclassic "Earth Angel",which sold more than 10 million copies, while his top recording was the 1956 single"Goodnight My Love",a song that reached No. 7 onBillboard'sR&B chart.[1]

Belvin's success was cut short by his death in a car crashat the age of 27.The accident, which also claimed the lives of his wife Jo Ann and their driver, occurred after a concert inLittle Rock, Arkansasthat had been disrupted at least twice bywhite supremacists.According to an Arkansas state trooper at the scene of the accident, the tires of Belvin's 1959 Cadillac had "obviously been tampered with".[2]

After his death, legendary blues singerEtta Jamesreferred to Belvin as the "most gifted of us all. Even now I consider him the greatest singer of my generation. Rhythm and Blues, Rock and Roll, crooner, you name it, he was going to be bigger thanSam Cooke,bigger thanNat Cole."[3]

Background

[edit]

Belvin was born inSan Antonio, Texas,[4][5]and moved with his family toLos Angeles, California,at the age of five.[6]

On July 10, 1949, Belvin did the opening act withBig Jay McNeelyandLionel Hamptonat the 5thCavalcade of Jazzthat was produced byLeon Hefflin, Sr.in Los Angeles at the Wrigley Field ballpark.[7] In 1950, he joined Three Dots and a Dash, saxophonistBig Jay McNeely's backing vocal quartet, and featured prominently on their record releases. In 1952, he joinedSpecialty Records.Although his early solo records were unsuccessful, his fourth record, "Dream Girl", credited to Jesse & Marvin and featuring sax player Marvin Phillips singing,[6]reached No. 2 on the U.S.BillboardR&Bchartin 1953.[8][9][10]

Along withCharles Wright,Belvin was involved withKent-ModernA&R manTony Hilderin the late 1950s.[11]

Career

[edit]

Having been drafted into the army around 1953, Belvin continued to write songs. His composition "Earth Angel",eventually co-credited to Belvin andHollywood Flamessingers Curtis Williams and Gaynel Hodge after a legal dispute, was recorded byThe Penguins,and became one of the first R&B singles to cross over onto the pop charts, selling 1 million copies in 1954/1955.[9]

In 1956, he signed a contract withModern Records,but continued to sing for other labels under different names. His biggest hit was "Goodnight My Love",[6]which reached No. 7 on the R&B chart. Some sources report that the piano on the session reportedly was played by 11-year-oldBarry White.However, in an interview in1995White denied this[12][13]The song became the closing theme toAlan Freed's rock and roll radio shows.[9]

Belvin's other recordings for Modern were less successful, and in 1958, he recorded onDot Recordswith a group, the Shields, who included lead singer Frankie Ervin and guitaristJohnny "Guitar" Watson.[6]Their record "You Cheated" reached No. 15 on the U.S. pop chart and No. 11 on the R&B chart.[10]

In 1956, the single "The Girl in My Dreams" b/w "I Wanna Know Why", recorded withEugene ChurchasThe Cliques,peaked at No. 45 on theBillboardHot 100.[14]"The Girl in My Dreams" was covered by the Four Lovers (two of whose members, includingFrankie Valli,would later becomeThe Four Seasons).[9]

By early 1959,Tender Recordshad a 45 released that was credited to Belvin andThe Capris.The single "Beware" was composed byJ. Dolphinand backed with "Endless Love", a composition by K. C. Reeth andRobert Hafner.[15][16]

Inspired by his wife and manager Jo Ann to develop his style, Belvin signed toRCA Recordsin 1959, and immediately had a top 40 hit with "Guess Who",[1]written by his wife.[6]This song originally started as a love letter from her to him, and Belvin turned it into the hit song it became.[17]He also recorded the albumJust Jesse Belvin,developing a mature and sophisticated sound on ballads. His style was influenced byNat "King" ColeandBilly Eckstine,[6]and became a model forSam Cookeand others. He acquired the nickname "Mr. Easy", and the record company began molding him as a potential crossover star for white audiences, as well as a professional rival toCapitol Records' recording star Nat "King" Cole.[9]

Belvin recorded a further series of tracks later in the year, with arrangerMarty Paichand an orchestra including saxophonistArt Pepper.The songs included soulful covers of standards such as "Blues in the Night","In the Still of the Night",and"Makin' Whoopee",and were issued on the albumMr. Easy.[18]

Death under suspicious circumstances

[edit]

Before the album was issued, Belvin appeared on a concert bill withJackie WilsonandMarv Johnsonin Little Rock, Arkansas on February 6, 1960. It was the first concert ever played before an integrated audience in Little Rock's history. The show was stopped twice by interruptions from whites in the audience shouting racial epithets and urging the white teenagers in attendance to leave.

After the performance, Belvin and his wife Jo Ann were killed in a head-on collision nearHope, Arkansas.[19]Police suspected Belvin's car was tampered with.[3]Jackie Wilson told the press that he had requested his lawyer look into the matter, but no official determination was ever made.[20]

Belvin was declared dead at the scene as was their driver. His wife died later in the hospital. He was 27; Jo Ann, 23. The Belvins were buried inEvergreen CemeteryinBoyle Heights, Los Angeles.[4][21]

Crown RecordsreleasedThe Unforgettable Jesse Belvinin 1961. The next year, 1962, Belvin's single "Tonight My Love", backed with "Looking for Love", was released onTony Hilder'sImpactlabel.[22]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ab"Jesse Belvin - Awards".AllMusic.Archived fromthe originalon September 26, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 26,2022.
  2. ^Segalstad, Eric; Hunter, Josh (2008).The 27s: The Greatest Myth of Rock & Roll.United Kingdom: Samadhi Creations. p. 308.ISBN9780615189642.
  3. ^abRichmond, Norman (December 5, 2012)."The golden voice of Jesse Belvin".OurWeekly Los Angeles.RetrievedJanuary 24,2021.
  4. ^abEagle, Bob; Eric S. LeBlanc (2013).Blues - A Regional Experience.Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 373.ISBN978-0313344237.
  5. ^"FamilySearch".Familysearch.org.RetrievedOctober 21,2019.
  6. ^abcdefColin Larkin,ed. (2002).The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music(Third ed.).Virgin Books.p. 38.ISBN1-85227-937-0.
  7. ^Isoardi, Steven L. (1989)."Central Avenue Sounds: Cecil McNeely".University of California,Los Angeles: Online Archive of California.
  8. ^"A Very Enlightening Interview w/Jesse Belvin Jr. Pt.1"onYouTube
  9. ^abcdeEder, Bruce."Jesse Belvin | Biography & History".AllMusic.RetrievedOctober 21,2019.
  10. ^ab"Jesse Belvin Page".Soulwalking.co.uk.RetrievedOctober 21,2019.
  11. ^Blair, John; Smart, Bill (1975)."The Tony Hilder Story".Who Put the Bomp.No. 14. p. 12.
  12. ^"Episode 47:" Goodnight My Love "by Jesse Belvin".August 26, 2019.
  13. ^"Barry White".ClassicBands.com.
  14. ^Whitburn, Joel (2013).Top Pop Singles 1955-2012(14th ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 175.ISBN978-0-89820-205-2.
  15. ^Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series.Copyright Office, Library of Congress. 1959. p. 1192.
  16. ^"Reviews of New Pop Records".Billboard.Vol. 71, no. 8. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. February 23, 1959. p. 51.ISSN0006-2510.
  17. ^Shaw, Arnold (1978).Honkers and Shouters: The Golden Years of Rhythm & Blues.University of Michigan:Crowell-Collier Press. p. 210.ISBN9780020617600.
  18. ^"Mr. Easy - Jesse Belvin | Songs, Reviews, Credits".AllMusic.RetrievedOctober 21,2019.
  19. ^"Rock-N-Roll Singer Jessie Belvin, Wife Die in Crash".Jet.February 25, 1960. p. 59.
  20. ^"Was a Death Trap Set For Blevin?".The Pittsburg Courier.New York. Associated Negro Press. March 6, 1960. p. 23.
  21. ^Aurellano, Gustavo (June 16, 2023)."The unloved grave of Jesse Belvin, L.A. R&B's tragic what-if".The Los Angeles Times.RetrievedJune 27,2023.
  22. ^"Bomp 14 (Fall 1975)".Archive.org.October 21, 1975.RetrievedOctober 21,2019.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jesse_Belvin&oldid=1239547597"