Joseph M. Hewell (April 15, 1938 – December 23, 2014) was an American R&B and soul singer better known under his stage name Jo Jo Benson. He was best known for his recordings in the late 1960s with Peggy Scott.
Jo Jo Benson | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Joseph M. Hewell |
| Born | April 15, 1938 Phenix City, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | December 23, 2014 (aged 76) Columbus, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, club owner |
| Labels | SSS International |
Life and career
editHe was born in Phenix City, Alabama, and began singing in nightclubs when in his teens. He joined Chuck Willis as a backing singer in the 1950s, before joining forces with fellow singer Peggy Scott, who previously backed Ben E. King, in a duo. The pair were heard and encouraged by record producer Huey Meaux,[1] and were recruited by Shelby Singleton's SSS International label in Nashville, Tennessee, in order to record duets.[2] Their first recording for the label, "Lover's Holiday", reached #8 on the Billboard R&B chart and #31 on the pop chart in 1968, eventually becoming a gold record. They followed it up with "Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries", which was also a hit and for which they were nominated for a Grammy.[3] Benson and Scott had two more hits in 1969, "Soulshake" and "I Want to Love You Baby", and released two albums together, Lover's Heaven and Soulshake.[4][5][6]
The pairing of Benson and Scott split up in 1971. Benson later owned several nightclubs in the Chattahoochee Valley, and was seriously wounded in a shooting incident in 1979.[3] He and Scott temporarily reunited in the mid-1980s for an album. In 1999, Benson recorded a solo album, Reminiscing in the Jam Zone, which Living Blues magazine called "among the finest soul albums of the year - indeed, of the decade". In 2001, he followed it up with the album Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha.[4]
On December 23, 2014, Jo Jo Benson was found dead at a motel in Columbus, Georgia, at the age of 76. The coroner's office stated that he died of natural causes.[3]
Discography
editChart singles with Peggy Scott
edit| Year | Single | Chart Positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop[7] | US R&B[5] | ||
| 1968 | "Lover's Holiday" | 31 | 8 |
| "Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries" | 27 | 8 | |
| 1969 | "Soulshake" | 37 | 13 |
| "I Want to Love You Baby" | 81 | 24 | |
Albums
editWith Peggy Scott
edit- Lover's Heaven (1969)
- Soulshake (1969)
- Nothing Can Stand In Our Way (1984)
Solo
edit- Reminiscing in the Jam Zone (1999)
- Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha (2001)
References
edit- ^ Johnny W. Sumrall, Jr., Classic Magnolia Rock: History of Original Mississippi Rock and Roll 1953-1970, AuthorHouse, 2008.
- ^ Stuart Rosenberg, Rock and Roll and the American Landscape: The Birth of an Industry and the Expansion of the Popular Culture, 1955-1969, iUniverse, 2009; p. 95: "One of the best examples of country soul was the duo of Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson, who recorded with producer Shelby Singleton in Nashville and whose song 'Soul Shake' was likely the first soul record that featured a steel guitar (played ...Joseph Hewell, in 1941, in Phenix City, Alabama) moved to Pensacola, Florida to begin their career because they wanted to follow Pensacola recording artists James & Bobby Purify. Scott & Benson first teamed up with legendary Texas ..."
- ^ a b c Alva James-Johnson, "Jo Jo Benson dies at Victory Drive motel" Archived 2014-12-23 at the Wayback Machine, Ledger-Enquirer, December 23, 2014.
- ^ a b Biography by Greg Prato, Allmusic.com. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995. Record Research. p. 391.
- ^ Peggy Scott and Jo Jo Benson, Discogs.com. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 624. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.