Jimmy Soul
Jimmy Soul (August 24, 1942 – June 25, 1988)[1] was an American vocalist. He is best remembered for his 1963 million selling recording, "If You Wanna Be Happy."
Born James McCleese in Weldon, North Carolina,[1] he performed gospel music 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 had two chart hit singles, both which were Bonds'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. "If You Wanna Be Happy" sold over one million gramophone records, earning gold disc status.[2] It had two spells in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #39 (1963) and #68 (1991) respectively.[3]
[edit] Later years
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, aged 45.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Thedeadrockstarsclub.com Accessed March 2010
- ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 166. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 515. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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