From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Thu Nov 28, 2002  6:15 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Bruce Channel
 
BRUCE CHANNEL (By Shaun Mather)

Born Bruce McMeans, 28 November 1940, Jacksonville, Texas

Bruce Channel is best remembered for his 1962 number one hit Hey Baby,
which included Ronnie Dawson on drums and Delbert McClinton on harmonica.
It was a catchy blend of styles that he'd written with his friend Margaret Cobb
a full three years before it hit.
Channel had a few low-key releases on Teen Ager, King and Manico prior
to Hey Baby. He'd been performing the tune for a couple of years before
recording it along with other demos for Fort Worth producer Major Bill Smith.
The single came out on Smith's own label Le Cam, but was soon picked up
for national distribution by Smash. Channel was unable to repeat the success
despite cutting some catchy stuff, most sounding too obviously like Hey
Baby follow-ups. His final chart entry was "Mr. Bus Driver" (# 90 in 1967),
which was produced by Dale Hawkins for Mala Records.
In 1962 he toured Britain with McClinton in support, including headline
appearances with the Beatles as support. It is supposedly this tour that
inspired John Lennon to feature the harmonica so prominently in their early
records.
Channel finally returned to the Top 20 in Britain in 1968 with "Keep On".
By the late '70s he was working in Nashville as a songwriter.

Recommended listening:
Hey Baby - US Collectables.
More info: http://www.rockabillyhall.com/BruceChannel.html