From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Tue Jan 28, 2003  6:19 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Phil Flowers

PHIL FLOWERS

Born Phillip John Flowers, 28 January 1934, Clarendon, North Carolina
Died 22 January 2001, Gaithersburg, Maryland

Phil Flowers is best known for his frantic rocker "No Kissin' At The Hop"
(Wing 2100) from 1958. Born on a small farm in North Carolina, Flowers
was taught how to pick a guitar by his father, Phil Sr. He played with
various groups until Uncle Sam called him for a paid vacation with the
U.S. Air Force. During his service he starred with the successful "Tops
In Blue" Air Force show and played camps all around the country. After
his demob he began singing professionally in the Washington area, was
a member of the group Jebadiah and worked with Link Wray and Barry
Darvell.
His first recordings (pre-"Kissin' At The Hop") were made for the Hollywood
label in 1958, albeit that according to some his Empire single "Sadie From
Haiti" already dates from 1951. He recorded in a great variety of styles :
rock 'n' roll, gospel, R&B/soul, blues, ballads and sixties pop, including
some twist and other dance records. Phil was also a prolific songwriter.
In 1968 he performed at the White House, during the Johnson administration.
That year, at the request of D.C. Mayor Walter Washington, Flowers and his
backup group were dispatched to sing in neighbourhoods where riots had
broken out after the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
After his song "Cry on My Shoulder" (1967) sold well on the East Coast,
Phil sang on the nationally televised "Dick Clark Show." He also performed
at the Carter Barron Amphitheater, on cruise ships and in Bermuda, Saudi
Arabia, Puerto Rico and Europe.
He appeared in Las Vegas and was a regular at Washington hotels and clubs.
Often, he sang his own songs, and did impressions of a wide range of other
singers, including Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, Sammy Davis Jr,
Dean Martin, Charlie Pride, Chuck Berry, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong
and Frank Sinatra. He continued to make records for a variety of labels until
the early nineties and died of cancer in 2001, six days before his 67th
birthday.

Phil's son Matthew is also a recording artist,
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/matthewtunes

More info: http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Phil%20Flowers.html
Discography: http://members.tripod.com/SoulfulKindaMusic/pflowers.htm

CD : Rockin' Dance Party : All The Hits (Encore CD-2013). 25 tracks.
Released in 1995. Title on spine is "No Kissin' At the Hop".

(With thanks to Tapio.)
Next BTBWY : February 1.