John Edwards (singer) facts for kids

John Edwards (born December 25, 1944 – died May 2025) was an American soul singer. He sang on his own for a while. Later, he became the main singer for a famous group called The Spinners. He sang with them from 1977 to 2000.

About John Edwards

John Edwards was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He started singing in clubs. This was when he was in the US Army in Germany. After the army, he lived in Duluth, Georgia. He performed with other singers like Wilson Pickett. Later, in the late 1960s, he moved to Chicago.

In Chicago, he met Curtis Mayfield. Curtis helped him meet Jo Armstead. Jo was a music producer at Weis Records. John recorded many songs for Weis Records. Then he moved to Bell Records in 1972. The next year, he joined the Aware label in Atlanta.

Early Music Success

Floyd Smith produced John Edwards's first hit song. It was called "Stop This Merry-Go-Round." It reached number 45 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1973. This chart lists the most popular rhythm and blues songs.

After that, he released "Messing Up A Good Thing." He also put out an album named after himself. His most successful song was "Careful Man." It was produced by Floyd Smith and written by Jimmy Lewis. "Careful Man" reached number 8 on the R&B chart in 1974. Another song, "Vanishing Love," also became popular on the R&B chart.

Joining The Spinners

After his record company closed, John Edwards performed with The Spinners. He also kept singing on his own for the Cotillion label. He had two more popular R&B songs. These were "Baby, Hold On to Me" in 1976 and "Nobody, But You" in 1977.

In 1977, John decided to join The Spinners full-time. He became the group's main singer. He took the place of Philippé Wynne. John was the lead voice on many of their later hit songs. One big hit was "Working My Way Back to You." Michael Zager produced this song. It reached number 2 on the Hot 100 chart in early 1980. It also hit number 1 on the UK singles chart.

John also sang lead on their 1980 version of "Cupid." This song reached number 4 on both the US and UK Pop Charts. It also reached number 5 on the US R&B Chart.

Later Life

John Edwards stayed with The Spinners until 2000. He had to retire because of a serious stroke. A stroke is when blood flow to the brain is blocked. He passed away on May 11, 2025, at the age of 80.