Wess
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|
Wess | |
|---|---|
 Wess withDori Ghezzi(Sanremo,1973) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wesley Johnson |
| Born | August 13, 1945 Winston-Salem, North Carolina,U.S. |
| Died | September 21, 2009(aged 64) New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop,soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals,bass guitar |
| Labels | Durium,London,UAR |
Wesley Johnsonknown by his stage nameWess(August 13, 1945 — September 21, 2009) was an American-born Italiansingerandbass guitarist,perhaps mostly known for representing Italy along withDori Ghezziat theEurovision Song Contest 1975inStockholm,Sweden, placing third with the song "Era".[1]
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 bandWess & The Airedalesin the 1960s and early 1970s.
He died in New York during his United States tour when a breathing crisis led to his death.[2]
Personal life
[edit]He was the father of Deborah Johnson and UK-based R&B singerRomina Johnson,who often accompanied him as a backing singer.[3]
In popular media
[edit]In its winter 2018 issue,Oxford Americanmagazine 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.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Giuntini, Cristina."Wess (Italy 1975) dies at 64".esctoday.Archived fromthe originalon 25 December 2011.
- ^"Wess and Dori Ghezzi | Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku".EuroVisionary. 1975-03-22. Archived fromthe originalon February 23, 2012.Retrieved2012-08-08.
- ^"About me: Romina Johnson".Romina Johnson.
- ^"A Teentone in Rome".
External links
[edit]
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- 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 American male singers
- 20th-century American 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
- Italian musician stubs