Singin' Sammy Ward facts for kids

James T. Woodley (born December 21, 1929 – died November 20, 1996) was an American singer. He was known by his stage name, Singin' Sammy Ward. He sang rhythm and blues (R&B) music. He recorded songs for Motown Records, a very famous music company. In 1961, his song "Who's The Fool" became a hit on the R&B music charts. This song was written by Smokey Robinson and produced by Berry Gordy.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

James T. Woodley grew up in Ensley, a part of Birmingham, Alabama. Later, he moved to Detroit, Michigan. By the late 1950s, he was a well-known singer in clubs there.

Joining Motown Records

Berry Gordy's wife, Raynoma, gave him the name "Singin' Sammy Ward." He first recorded for Motown in 1960. His first song was a duet with Sherri Taylor called "Lover." He then became a solo singer on Motown's Tamla label.

"Who's The Fool" Success

Sammy Ward recorded a song called "That Child Is Really Wild." It was written by Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson. Another song, "Who's The Fool," became the B-side. This song was his only big hit. It reached number 23 on the Billboard R&B chart in August 1961. This was only the fourth song from Motown to become a chart hit.

Some say Smokey Robinson also wrote "You Really Got a Hold on Me" for Sammy Ward. But Berry Gordy wanted Smokey Robinson to record it himself with his group, The Miracles.

Later Motown Songs

Sammy Ward was a bluesy singer. People compared his style to Bobby Bland. He released more songs on the Tamla label. These included "Big Joe Moe" in 1962. This song was written by William "Mickey" Stevenson and Brian Holland. Another song was "Someday Pretty Baby," which featured Stevie Wonder playing the harmonica. He also released one song on Motown's Soul label. However, these songs were not very popular. Sammy Ward left Motown in the mid-1960s. He was disappointed because other artists at Motown were having more success.

Later Career and Rediscovery

Later, he recorded two songs, "Stone Broke" and "Sister Lee." He used the name Sam Ward for these songs. They were released on the Groove City label in 1968. After this, he stopped making music for a while.

Return to Music

British fans of Northern soul music rediscovered him. A record producer named Ian Levine also found him. Starting in 1989, Ian Levine recorded many songs with Sammy Ward. These were for Levine's Motorcity label. Sammy Ward re-recorded many of his old songs from the 1960s. Ian Levine said it was hard to record Sammy. He would often change the melody and sing in a bluesy, improvised way. Still, Levine released several dance songs by Sammy Ward in the early 1990s. Sammy Ward also performed at soul music festivals in Britain during this time.

Death

James T. Woodley passed away in 1996 in Mount Clemens, Michigan.