Joe Tex facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Tex
Joe Tex in 1965
Background information
Birth name	Joseph Arrington Jr.
Also known as	Yusuf Hazziez
Born	(1935-08-08)August 8, 1935 Rogers, Texas, U.S.
Origin	Baytown, Texas, U.S.
Died	August 13, 1982(1982-08-13) (aged 47) Navasota, Texas, United States
Genres	R&B soul southern soul deep soul funk disco
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1955–1982
Labels	King Records Ace Records Anna Records Dial Records Atlantic Records Mercury Records Epic Records

Joe Tex was a famous American singer and musician. His real name was Joseph Arrington Jr. He was born on August 8, 1935, and passed away on August 13, 1982. He was also known as Yusuf Hazziez.

Joe Tex became very popular in the 1960s and 1970s. He sang a special kind of music called Southern soul. This music blended different styles like funk, country, gospel, and rhythm and blues.

He started his music journey after winning four times at the famous Apollo Theater. He signed with King Records in 1955. For a while, it was hard for him to get a hit song. He recorded 30 songs that didn't become popular!

But then, in 1964, he finally released his first big hit, "Hold What You've Got". He went on to have four songs that sold over a million copies each. These included "Hold What You've Got" (1965), "Skinny Legs and All" (1967), "I Gotcha" (1972), and "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)" (1977). Joe Tex was even nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame six times!

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Joe Tex was born Joseph Arrington, Jr. in Rogers, Texas. His parents were Joseph Arrington and Cherie Sue Arrington. He and his sister Mary Sue were first raised by their grandmother.

After his parents divorced, his mother moved to Baytown, Texas. Joe Tex played the baritone saxophone in his high school band. He also sang in a local church choir.

He entered many talent shows. After a big win in Houston, he won $300 and a trip to New York City. Joe Tex took part in the amateur contest at the Apollo Theater. He won first place four times!

This led to him being discovered by Henry Glover. Glover offered him a contract with King Records. His mother wanted him to finish high school first. Glover agreed to wait a year before signing him at age 19.

Joe Tex's Music Career

Early Recordings and Challenges

Joe Tex recorded for King Records from 1955 to 1957. He didn't have much success during this time. He later said he sold the rights to the song "Fever" to King Records staff. He did this to get money for his rent.

In 1958, he signed with Ace. He still didn't have many hits. But he started to become known for his unique stage performances. He opened shows for stars like Jackie Wilson and James Brown.

He became very good at using the microphone and doing dance moves. Many people, including Little Richard, said that James Brown copied Joe Tex's dance moves. In 1960, Joe Tex left Ace Records. He briefly recorded for Anna Records in Detroit.

He had a small hit with his cover version of Etta James' "All I Could Do Was Cry". By this time, Joe Tex often used a style of "rapping" over his music. This became a common part of his songs.

In 1961, he recorded his song "Baby You're Right" for Anna Records. Later that year, James Brown recorded a different version of the song. Brown changed the lyrics and music. This made it a hit for Brown in 1962.

Around this time, Joe Tex began working with Buddy Killen. Killen started the Dial Records label for Tex. After many songs didn't become hits, Killen decided to have Atlantic Records help distribute his music in 1964. By the time he signed with Atlantic, Joe Tex had recorded 30 songs that had not become popular.

Finding Success

Joe Tex recorded his first big hit, "Hold What You've Got", in November 1964. This happened at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He didn't think the song would be a hit. He even told Buddy Killen not to release it.

But Killen thought differently and released the song in early 1965. By the time Joe Tex found out it was released, the song had already sold 200,000 copies! The song reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It became his first number-one hit on the R&B charts. It stayed on the charts for 11 weeks and sold over a million copies by 1966.

In 1965 alone, Joe Tex had six songs in the top 40 on the R&B charts. This included two more number-one hits: "I Want To (Do Everything For You)" and "A Sweet Woman Like You". He released two albums, Hold On To What You've Got and The New Boss. He had more R&B hits than any other artist that year, even more than James Brown.

In 1966, five more of his songs entered the top 40 on the R&B charts. These included "The Love You Save" and "S.Y.S.L.J.F.M." or "The Letter Song". The Letter Song was an answer song to Wilson Pickett's "634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)".

His hits in 1967 included "Show Me". This song was often covered by British rock artists. It was also covered by some country and pop artists later on. His second million-selling hit was "Skinny Legs and All". This song stayed on the charts for 15 weeks. It earned a gold disc in January 1968.

After leaving Atlantic for Mercury Records, Joe Tex had more R&B hits. These included "Buying a Book" in 1970 and "Give the Baby Anything the Baby Wants" in 1971. The saxophone sounds in his 1969 song, "You're Right, Ray Charles," later inspired the band Funkadelic.

Joe Tex recorded his next huge hit, "I Gotcha", in December 1971. The song was released in January 1972. It stayed on the charts for 20 weeks. It reached number two on the Hot 100 for two weeks. It sold over 2 million copies, becoming his biggest hit ever.

After this success, Joe Tex announced he was retiring from music in September 1972. He wanted to become a minister for Islam. He returned to music after 1975. He released the top-40 R&B hit, "Under Your Powerful Love". His last big hit, "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)", came out in 1977. It reached number 12 on the Hot 100 and number 2 in the UK.

His last public performances were in 1981. He was part of a group called the Soul Clan. After that, Joe Tex stopped performing publicly. He lived on his ranch in Navasota, Texas. He enjoyed watching football games.

Rivalry with James Brown

Joe Tex had a famous rivalry with fellow singer James Brown. This started in the mid-1950s. Both artists were signed to labels connected to King Records. Brown reportedly challenged Tex to a "battle" at a dance.

In 1960, Joe Tex recorded the song "Baby, You're Right". A year later, James Brown recorded his own version of the song. Brown changed the lyrics and music. This gave Brown songwriting credit along with Tex.

Brown had also started working with singer Bea Ford. She had been married to Tex but divorced him in 1959. In 1960, Brown and Ford recorded the song, "You've Got the Power". Soon after, Brown sent Tex a letter. He told Tex he was done with Ford and Tex could have her back. Tex responded by recording the song "You Keep Her" in 1962. This was a "diss record" aimed at Brown.

In 1963, their rivalry grew stronger. Tex and Brown performed a concert in Macon, Georgia. Tex opened the show. He imitated Brown by appearing in a torn cape and rolling on the floor. He pretended to struggle to get out of the cape.

Brown was already upset with Tex over the song "You Keep Her". He left the club and came back with guns. Joe Tex had already left the club before any shooting started. The incident led to several people being hurt. Brown was never charged for what happened.

Joe Tex later said that Brown copied his dance moves and microphone tricks. In interviews, Tex said that Little Willie John was the real "Soul Brother No. 1," not James Brown. Tex even claimed Brown tried to stop radio stations from playing his hit "Skinny Legs and All." Tex believed this stopped him from having a number-one song.

In 1968, Tex had "The New Soul Brother No. 1" written on his tour bus. But he later removed it. Tex challenged Brown to see who was "the real soul brother." Brown reportedly refused the challenge.

Personal Life and Passing

Joe Tex became a Muslim in 1966. He changed his name to Yusuf Hazziez. He also gave talks as a spiritual speaker. He had two daughters, Eartha Doucet and Leslie Arrington. He also had four sons: Joseph Arrington III, Ramadan Hazziez, Jwaade Hazziez, and Joseph Hazziez.

In his last performances in 1981, he looked thin and unwell. His friend Buddy Killen said that Tex seemed to have "lost his will to live."

In early August 1982, Joe Tex was found at the bottom of a swimming pool at his home. He was revived in the hospital and sent home. Just a few days later, on August 13, he passed away at Grimes Memorial Hospital in Navasota. He was 47 years old. His passing was due to a heart attack.

Songs Covered by Other Artists

Many other artists have covered Joe Tex's songs.

• The Foundations covered "Show Me".
• US R&B group The Raelettes and UK hard rock band Nazareth covered "I Want To (Do Everything for You)".
• Phish performed "You Better Believe It Baby".

Selected Discography

Chart Albums

Chart Singles

See Also

• Blues
• Southern soul
• Atlantic Records