From:   Flippar
Date:  Wed Jan 30, 2002  7:07 pm
Subject:  Born To Be With You -Chuck Willis
 
CHUCK WILLIS

Born Harold Willis on January 31st 1928 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Died Atlanta Georgia, April 10th 1958.

Started playing in a band in a local YMCA canteen. Local dj Zenas Sears
brought him to the attention of Danny Kessler who was scouting for blues
singers for the reactivated OKeh label. Chuck had one release on Columbia
before switching to OKeh where he hit with his 5th release My Story in 1952.
Chuck was given a local TV show in 53 and was managed by Sears who placed him
on several tours using Atlanta as his base.

Early 56 he recorded his last Okeh session. He had more success as a
songwriter with Ruth Brown (Oh What A Dream), The Clovers , Floyd Dixon, 5
Keys, Cardinals and the Cadillacs, amongst others recording his tunes. A
former US army sergeant would later cover his classic Feel So Bad! Chuck
wrote in binges, locking himself away in a hotel room or driving round late
in his car thinking up ideas, before putting them on his huge reel-to-reel
recorder. Atlantic signed him up for their impressive roster in 56; he was
equally at home with ballads, blues, movers and especially strollers.

Working closely with the talented Jesse Stone he came up with It `s Too Late
which reached number 3 and impressed a band in Lubbock! The third single was
ironically from someone else's pen, the standard C C Rider (C C apparently
refers to Country Circuit preachers who were often lead astray by the
womenfolk), probably Jimmy Lee Swaggart`s fav tune!!

It was a huge hit as it suited the new Stroll dance style so well. Chuck
appointed himself King Of The Stroll and appeared on Bandstand wearing the
mysterious turban (perhaps because he was tonsorially challenged, he owned
55 turbans by the time of his death) and the record reached number 1 on the r&
b charts in summer of 57. Follow ups flopped and his ulcers were irritated by
the endless touring and his increasingly heavy drinking.

He missed a Bandstand appearance because of illness and cut what was to be
his last session in NY in February 58, cutting the classic (if ironic) Hang
Up My R N R Shoes and What Am I Living For, and the belting Keep A Drivin`. A
month later he became ill after eating some spicy barbecue and finally agreed
to a long delayed stomach operation, involving a large part of his stomach
being removed, back in Atlanta. A week after going home from hospital he had
a relapse and finally hung up his rock n roll shoes at 2:30 am Thursday
April 101958, leaving behind a wife and 3 young children. Although his last
45 (Shoes/Living) was a huge hit he died owing the IRS a small fortune, a
real saddened to a very under rated talent, both Okeh and Atlantic recordings
deserve a place in your collection, especially as many of our heroes like
Buddy, Elvis, Conway, JLL etc. have covered his songs. Stroll On Chuck
(Taken from Colin Escott`s excellent notes on Razor n Tie)

Recommended listening
Okeh - Let`s Jump Tonight
Edsel - Be Good Or Be Gone
Atlantic - Stroll On-Chuck Willis Collection,Razor n Tie