John Edwards (singer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Edwards
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| Birth name | Jonathan Edwards |
| Born | December 25, 1944 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | May 11, 2025 (aged 80) Atlanta, Georgia, |
| Genres | Soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | Late 1960s–2000 |
| Labels |
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Jonathan Edwards (born December 25, 1944 – died May 11, 2025) was an American soul singer. He had a good solo career. Later, he became the main singer for the famous group The Spinners. He sang with them from 1977 to 2000.
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Early Life and Music Career
Jonathan Edwards was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He started his music journey by singing in clubs. This was when he was in the United States Army in Germany.
After his time in the army, he moved to Duluth, Georgia. There, he performed with other singers like Wilson Pickett. In the late 1960s, he moved to Chicago.
Starting His Solo Career
In Chicago, Jonathan met Curtis Mayfield. Curtis helped him connect with producer Jo Armstead at Weis Records. Jonathan recorded several songs for this label.
Later, he moved to Bell Records in 1972. The next year, he joined the Atlanta-based Aware label.
First Hit Songs
With producer Floyd Smith, Jonathan Edwards had his first hit song. "Stop This Merry-Go-Round" reached number 45 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1973.
He then released "Messing Up A Good Thing." He also put out an album named after himself. His most successful song was "Careful Man." This song was produced by Floyd Smith and written by Jimmy Lewis. It reached number 8 on the R&B chart in 1974. Another song, "Vanishing Love," also made it onto the R&B chart.
Joining The Spinners
After Aware Records closed, Jonathan Edwards performed with The Spinners. He also continued his solo career. He released two more songs on the Cotillion label. These were "Baby, Hold On to Me" (1976) and "Nobody, But You" (1977). Both songs appeared on the R&B chart.
In 1977, he decided to join The Spinners full-time. He became the group's lead singer, taking the place of Philippé Wynne.
Success with The Spinners
Jonathan Edwards was the main singer on many of The Spinners' later hit songs. One of their biggest hits was "Working My Way Back to You." This song was produced by Michael Zager. It reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1980. It also hit number 1 on the UK singles chart.
He 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 Years
Jonathan Edwards stayed with The Spinners until the year 2000. He had to retire from singing because of a serious stroke. He passed away on May 11, 2025, at the age of 80.
