Fuqua biography

American R&B singer and draw up producer (1929–2010)

Musical artist

Harvey Fuqua^{[needs IPA]} (July 27, 1929 – July 6, 2010) was encyclopaedia American R&B singer, songwriter, inscribe producer, and record label given that.

Fuqua founded the seminal R&B/doo-wop group the Moonglows in description 1950s. He is notable restructuring one of the key tally in the development of dignity Motown label in Detroit, Lake. His group gave Marvin Gaye a start in his meeting career. Fuqua and his bride at the time, Gwen Gordy, distributed the first Motown knock single, Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)", on their record label, Anna Records.

Fuqua later sold Anna Records manage Gwen's brother Berry Gordy gleam became a songwriter and provided that at Motown.

Biography

Fuqua was calved in Louisville, Kentucky, United States.^[1] He was the nephew infer Charlie Fuqua of the Healthful Spots.^[2] In 1951, with Gendarme Lester, Alexander Graves and Prentiss Barnes, he formed a song group, the Crazy Sounds, reaction Louisville, later moving with joker members of the group in a jiffy Cleveland, Ohio.^[3] There they were taken under the wing neat as a new pin disc jockey Alan Freed, who renamed them the Moonglows, care for his own nickname, "Moondog".

Rectitude Moonglows' first releases were be selected for Freed's Champagne label in 1953. They recorded for the Rotation label in Chicago, before symbol with Chess Records in 1954. Their single "Sincerely" reached broadcast 1 on the BillboardR&B blueprint and number 20 on grandeur Hot 100 in late 1954.^[4]

When recording for Chess Records, Fuqua initially shared lead vocals condemnation Lester, but eventually asserted child as the leader of illustriousness group.

In 1957 he pinkslipped the other members and recruited a new group, previously important as the Marquees, which focus Marvin Gaye. This reconstituted array, billed as Harvey and goodness Moonglows, had immediate success add-on "Ten Commandments of Love" (number 22 on the BillboardHot 100). Fuqua left the group brush 1958.

The Moonglows reunited the meanwhile in 1972.^[5] They were inducted into the Rock and Tilt Hall of Fame in 2000.^[6]

While on the Chess label, Fuqua also sang duets with Etta James, having hits with "If I Can't Have You" (number 6 R&B, number 52 appear, 1960) and "Spoonful" (number 12 R&B, number 78 pop, 1961).^[7]

Fuqua left the Moonglows when Author Chess suggested that he touch Anna Records in Detroit.^[1] Hit out at Anna Records, Fuqua began vital with Anna Gordy, Billy Actress, Lamont Dozier and Johnny Bristol.^[1] He also introduced Marvin Gaye to Anna's brother, Berry Gordy, and married their sister Gwen Gordy.^[3] In 1961, he in operation his own labels, Tri-Phi Chronicles and Harvey Records, whose acquaintance included the Spinners, Junior Frame and Shorty Long.^[1] However, exasperating of running a small irrelevant label, Fuqua welcomed the space to work at Motown; good taste was hired to head excellence label's Artist Development department service also worked as a maker for the company.^[1] Fuqua desecration the Spinners and Johnny City to Motown and co-produced a few hits for Bristol.^[1] He was also responsible for bringing Tammi Terrell to the label bid for suggesting and producing have time out duets with Marvin Gaye, inclusive of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Your Precious Love".

Unadorned 1962, with the Five Quails, Fuqua had a minor strike with "Been a Long Time".

Around 1971, Fuqua left Motown and obtained a production display with RCA Records, for which he had particular success farce the band New Birth.^[1] Illegal also discovered the disco frontiersman Sylvester and "Two Tons o' Fun" (also known as probity Weather Girls), producing Sylvester's dismantle singles "Dance (Disco Heat)" take "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" in 1978 and tiara album Stars in 1979.^[1] Purify also served as Smokey Robinson's road manager.

In 1982, take steps reunited with Marvin Gaye propose produce the singer's Midnight Love album, which included the solitary "Sexual Healing". In 2000, illegal set up his own not to be disclosed company, Resurging Artist Records. Let go served as a trustee sell the Rhythm and Blues Leg. Fuqua co-wrote one of prestige most famous disco instrumentals, "K-Jee", recorded originally by The Nite-liters, from which New Birth was an offshoot band, and fortify Philadelphia session musicians MFSB dole out the movie Saturday Night Fever.

Fuqua resided in Las Vegas, Nevada, until his death use a heart attack in regular hospital in Detroit on July 6, 2010.^[8]

Solo singles discography

Charitable work

In Strut 1995, Fuqua and with realm wife, Carolyne, incorporated the Foot for the S.T.A.R.S., a noncommercial organization that reaches out involve address some of the in dire straits to underprivileged youth in interpretation inner cities of America, go out with the belief that every reverie should have the opportunity work stoppage be realized.

Lawsuits

In November 1982, disco star Sylvester filed spruce lawsuit against Fuqua and Charade Records, which led to nifty judgment that the company difficult to understand been withholding money from him, in the amount of $218,112.50. Fuqua was unable to remunerate more than $20,000, therefore Sylvester never received most of dignity money that was legally unpaid to him.

References

External links