From:   "Dik de Heer"  
Date:  Thu Aug 8, 2002  1:18 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Joe Tex

JOE TEX

Born Joseph Arrington Jnr., 8 August 1933, Rogers, Texas
Died 13 August 1982, Navasota, Texas

R&B singer. His professional career began at the Apollo amateur show,
where he won first place in a 1954 talent contest and duly secured a
record deal. In 1955, while singing at the Celebrity Club on Long Island,
Joe was discovered by a scout from King Records. His audition song,
"Davy You Upset My Home," became his first single release. It flopped,
as did five other singles he cut for the company. He moved to the Ace
label in 1957, and over the next four years, issued another half dozen
discs. Somehow, though, tunes like " You Little Baby Face Thing",
"Yum Yum" and "Charlie Brown Got Expelled" failed to catch on with the
public, though these are his most interesting releases from an R&R point
of view.
Then, in 1961, Joe signed with Dial, a new firm headed by Buddy Killen,
based in Nashville. Buddy was sure he could help Joe find a successful
formula, even though it might take a while to develop. Although early
releases showed promise, it was not until 1965 that Tex prospered.
Recorded at Fame and distributed by Atlantic, "Hold On To What You've
Got" was a US Top 5 hit. The first of several preaching singles, its homely
values were maintained on "A Woman Can Change A Man" and "The Love
You Save (May Be Your Own)". However, Joe was equally comfortable
on uptempo songs, as "S.Y.S.L.J.F.M. (The Letter Song)" (1966) and
"Show Me" (1967) proved. Later releases were less successful and the
singer seemed unsure of his direction. A fallow period ended with "I Gotcha"
(# 2 in 1972), an irresistibly cheeky song, but Tex chose this moment to
retire. A convert to the Muslim faith since 1966, he changed his name to
Yusuf Hazziez, and toured as a spiritual lecturer. He returned to music in 1975.
Two years later he enjoyed a 'comeback' hit with the irrepressible "Ain't Gonna
Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)". By the 80s, however, Joe had
withdrawn again from full-time performing. He devoted himself to Islam, his
Texas ranch and the Houston Oilers football team. He was tempted into a Soul
Clan reunion in 1981, but in August 1982 he died following a heart attack.

More info: http://www.geocities.com/antlion7/joetex.htm
Singles discography: http://members.tripod.com/SoulfulKindaMusic/jtex.htm
CD: Joe Tex, 25 All Time Greatest Hits (Varese Sarabande)
Some of his King and Ace sides are available on Westside compilations.
There is also a bootleg CD "The Early Years" (R&B CD 1001), with a mix
of King, Ace, Anna and early Dial tracks.