Joe Simon (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Simon
Background information
Born	(1936-09-07)September 7, 1936 Simmesport, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	December 13, 2021(2021-12-13) (aged 85)
Genres	Soul, R&B
Occupations	Singer record producer songwriter pastor
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1959–late 1990s
Labels	Hush Vee-Jay Sound Stage 7 Spring

Joe Simon (born September 7, 1936 – died December 13, 2021) was an amazing American singer who made soul and R&B songs. He started his musical journey singing gospel music with a group called the Golden West Singers.

Joe Simon was very popular on music charts in the U.S. from 1964 to 1981. He had 51 songs that made it onto the Pop and R&B charts! Eight of his songs reached the top 40 on the main U.S. charts, and 38 songs were in the top 40 on the R&B charts. He also had 13 hits in Canada.

Some of his biggest songs became number one hits on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart. These include "The Chokin' Kind" (in 1969), "Power of Love" (in 1972), and "Get Down, Get Down (Get on the Floor)" (in 1975). In 2021, he was considered for the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame, which is a big honor for musicians.

Joe Simon's Musical Journey

Joe Simon was born in Simmesport, Louisiana, in the United States. Like many other African-American artists from his time, he began singing in his father's Baptist church. He loved singing so much that he decided to focus on it full-time when his family moved to Richmond in the late 1950s. Richmond is a city near Oakland, California.

In Richmond, Joe Simon joined a group called the Golden West Gospel Singers. He was inspired by famous singers like Sam Cooke and Arthur Prysock. Because of this, the group decided to try making non-religious music. In 1959, they recorded a song called "Little Island Girl" under the name the Golden Tones.

Early Success and Hits

The owners of Hush Records, Gary and Carla Thompson, encouraged Joe Simon to record songs on his own. In 1964, he had a small hit song called "My Adorable One" on the Vee-Jay label. He had another success in 1965 with "Let's Do It Over," which reached number 13 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart.

However, the Vee-Jay record label closed down soon after "Let's Do It Over" was released. Joe Simon then traveled around the country singing. During this time, he met Nashville, Tennessee, R&B radio DJ John Richbourg. Richbourg became Simon's manager and record producer. He also helped Simon sign with Monument Records' special label, Sound Stage 7, in 1966.

That same year, Simon released "Teenager's Prayer," which became a big hit, reaching number 11 on Billboard's R&B chart. Over the next two years, he released many more popular songs, including "(You Keep Me) Hanging On", "The Chokin' Kind" (which reached number 13 on the main Billboard Hot 100 chart), "Farther on Down The Road", and "Yours Love". "The Chokin' Kind" was written by Harlan Howard and sold one million copies by June 1969! Joe Simon even won a Grammy Award in 1970 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

In 1969, his song "My Special Prayer" became a number one hit in the Netherlands when Percy Sledge sang his own version of it.

Continued Chart Success

In 1970, Joe Simon moved to the Spring Records label, which was part of Polydor. Here, he worked with famous producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. This team created a number 3 R&B hit in 1971 called "Drowning in the Sea of Love". Then, in the summer of 1972, they had a number 1 R&B hit with "Power of Love". Both of these songs also reached number 11 on the Hot 100 chart. "Drowning in the Sea of Love" sold over 1.5 million copies, earning a gold disc from the RIAA in 1972. "Power of Love," which Simon helped write, was his third song to sell over a million copies and also received a gold disc.

Simon continued to have R&B hits with songs like "Pool of Bad Luck", "Trouble in My Home", "Step By Step" (his only hit in the UK), "I Need You, You Need Me", "Music in My Bones", and "Carry Me". In 1975, "Get Down, Get Down (Get on the Floor)" became his third number 1 R&B hit and also reached number 8 on the Hot 100 chart. Joe Simon's success grew even more when he wrote and produced the theme tune for the movie Cleopatra Jones in 1973.

Later Years and Legacy

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Joe Simon decided to stop singing secular (non-religious) music. He chose to dedicate his voice and his life to Christianity. He became an evangelical preacher in Flossmoor, Illinois. In 1983, he produced an album for another singer, Jackie Verdell. Simon briefly returned to secular music in 1985 with his album Mr. Right, but none of its songs became hits. He later released a gospel album called This Story Must Be Told in the late 1990s.

In 1999, Joe Simon was honored with a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. This award celebrates artists who have made a big impact on music. In 2003, singer Joss Stone covered his song "The Chokin' Kind" on her album The Soul Sessions.

Many of Joe Simon's songs have been sampled by other artists. This means parts of his original recordings were used in new songs. For example, the group OutKast used a sample from "Before the Night is Over" in their hit song "So Fresh, So Clean". Lil' Kim sampled Simon's "It Be's That Way Sometimes" in her song "Magic Stick", which featured 50 Cent. Also, Memphis Bleek sampled Simon's "Trace Your Love" for a song on his 2005 album 534.

Joe Simon passed away on December 13, 2021, at the age of 85.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Singles

• From November 30, 1963, to January 23, 1965, Billboard Magazine did not publish a Hot R&B songs chart. The peak positions for R&B singles listed during this period are from Cash Box Magazine R&B songs chart.

See also

• List of artists who reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart
• List of soul musicians
• Southern soul
• Country soul
• List of disco artists (F-K)