Post by Rob Durkee on Jul 9, 2010 13:28:32 GMT -5
By ROCKIN' ROBIN
Harvey Fuqua, who led the R&B group the Moonglows to fame with the mid-1950's hit song, "Sincerely," essentially discovered Marvin Gaye and was also a successful record executive and producer, died of a heart attack at a Detroit hospital on Tuesday, July 6, 2010. He was 80.
According to writer Richard Cromelin and Wikipedia, Fuqua worked with a number of acts, including the Spinners, Etta James, Smokey Robinson, the Supremes, Tammi Terrell, Lamont Dozier, Johnny Bristol, New Birth, Jr. Walker and the All-Stars, Stevie Wonder, the Weather Girls and Sylvester.
Harvey Fuqua was born in Louisville in July 27, 1929, and was part of a musical family. His uncle, Charlie Fuqua, was a member of the legendary group the Ink Spots. In the early 1950's, Fuqua founded the group the Crazy Sounds, who were discovered by legendary Cleveland DJ Alan Freed in 1952 while performing in a nightclub. Freed became the group's manager and eventually renamed them to take advantage of his nickname and his fans, Moondog and Moondoggers. Hence, the group was renamed the Moonglows.
After some unsuccessful singles releases on Freed's Chancellor label and Chicago's Chance Records, the Moonglows gained national fame when they released "Sincerely" on another Chicago label, Chess Records. The song became a #1 R&B hit in 1954 but, sadly, was unable to cross over to the Cash Box pop chart. That's because the McGuire Sisters covered the record and took it to #2 on the pop chart. "Melody Of Love" by Billy Vaughn kept the McGuires out of #1.
Still, "Sincerely" became a famous song in its own right. It was considered part of the development of doo-wop music and rock and roll music, too. So much so, that when the Drake-Chennault "History Of Rock And Roll" 52-hour series was heard in the late 1970's and early 1980's, the first song heard was the Moonglows' version of "Sincerely."
The Moonglows would also have major R&B hits with "Most Of All," "We Go Together" (which Jan and Dean would remake), "Please Send Me Someone To Love." However, none of those releases could cross over to the Cash Box pop chart. Two songs did, though. "See Saw" was a #25 hit in late 1956 while, as Harvey and the Moonglows, "Ten Commandments Of Love" sneaked into the top 40 in 1958, reaching #39. This was about the time Fuqua discovered a Washington D.C.-based group called the Marquees who included a teenaged lead singer named Marvin Gaye.
The Marquees were never able to have a single release chart on either the pop or R&B charts. Undaunted, Fuqua would leave the Moonglows as he and Gaye would wind up in Detroit. Harvey was instrumental in the Spinners' 1961 breakthrough hit, "That's What Girls Are Made For." He had the Spinners perform the song much like the Moonglows would have...and it produced a #39 pop hit.
Fuqua would work as a producer as well as head of artist development for Motown records. Among the hit songs he produced or co-produced were "Someday We'll Be Together" (the Supremes), "Yester-Me Yester-You, Yesterday" (Stevie Wonder) and three Gaye-Tammi Terrell hits, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Your Precious Love" and "If This World Were Mine." Fuqua left Motown in 1969 but stayed on the music scene. He worked with the groups New Birth and the Nitelighters plus produced two Sylvester late 70's disco hits, "Dance (Disco Heat)" and "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real."
In the early 80's, Fuqua reunited with Gaye to help the latter get a comeback hit with "Sexual Healing." Recalled Fuqua, "He became a new man...because that's what he wanted most of all...to make a comeback and show people that he wasn't down and out." The Motown Alumni Association said Fuqua was working with the group S.T.A.R.R.S. at the time of his passing.
The Moonglows, who went by several other names plus had at least two dozen members over the years, were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2000.
Harvey Fuqua, who led the R&B group the Moonglows to fame with the mid-1950's hit song, "Sincerely," essentially discovered Marvin Gaye and was also a successful record executive and producer, died of a heart attack at a Detroit hospital on Tuesday, July 6, 2010. He was 80.
According to writer Richard Cromelin and Wikipedia, Fuqua worked with a number of acts, including the Spinners, Etta James, Smokey Robinson, the Supremes, Tammi Terrell, Lamont Dozier, Johnny Bristol, New Birth, Jr. Walker and the All-Stars, Stevie Wonder, the Weather Girls and Sylvester.
Harvey Fuqua was born in Louisville in July 27, 1929, and was part of a musical family. His uncle, Charlie Fuqua, was a member of the legendary group the Ink Spots. In the early 1950's, Fuqua founded the group the Crazy Sounds, who were discovered by legendary Cleveland DJ Alan Freed in 1952 while performing in a nightclub. Freed became the group's manager and eventually renamed them to take advantage of his nickname and his fans, Moondog and Moondoggers. Hence, the group was renamed the Moonglows.
After some unsuccessful singles releases on Freed's Chancellor label and Chicago's Chance Records, the Moonglows gained national fame when they released "Sincerely" on another Chicago label, Chess Records. The song became a #1 R&B hit in 1954 but, sadly, was unable to cross over to the Cash Box pop chart. That's because the McGuire Sisters covered the record and took it to #2 on the pop chart. "Melody Of Love" by Billy Vaughn kept the McGuires out of #1.
Still, "Sincerely" became a famous song in its own right. It was considered part of the development of doo-wop music and rock and roll music, too. So much so, that when the Drake-Chennault "History Of Rock And Roll" 52-hour series was heard in the late 1970's and early 1980's, the first song heard was the Moonglows' version of "Sincerely."
The Moonglows would also have major R&B hits with "Most Of All," "We Go Together" (which Jan and Dean would remake), "Please Send Me Someone To Love." However, none of those releases could cross over to the Cash Box pop chart. Two songs did, though. "See Saw" was a #25 hit in late 1956 while, as Harvey and the Moonglows, "Ten Commandments Of Love" sneaked into the top 40 in 1958, reaching #39. This was about the time Fuqua discovered a Washington D.C.-based group called the Marquees who included a teenaged lead singer named Marvin Gaye.
The Marquees were never able to have a single release chart on either the pop or R&B charts. Undaunted, Fuqua would leave the Moonglows as he and Gaye would wind up in Detroit. Harvey was instrumental in the Spinners' 1961 breakthrough hit, "That's What Girls Are Made For." He had the Spinners perform the song much like the Moonglows would have...and it produced a #39 pop hit.
Fuqua would work as a producer as well as head of artist development for Motown records. Among the hit songs he produced or co-produced were "Someday We'll Be Together" (the Supremes), "Yester-Me Yester-You, Yesterday" (Stevie Wonder) and three Gaye-Tammi Terrell hits, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Your Precious Love" and "If This World Were Mine." Fuqua left Motown in 1969 but stayed on the music scene. He worked with the groups New Birth and the Nitelighters plus produced two Sylvester late 70's disco hits, "Dance (Disco Heat)" and "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real."
In the early 80's, Fuqua reunited with Gaye to help the latter get a comeback hit with "Sexual Healing." Recalled Fuqua, "He became a new man...because that's what he wanted most of all...to make a comeback and show people that he wasn't down and out." The Motown Alumni Association said Fuqua was working with the group S.T.A.R.R.S. at the time of his passing.
The Moonglows, who went by several other names plus had at least two dozen members over the years, were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2000.
