Chess Records 80

  Bunny Sigler LP cover | Google | tc1135 Songwriter, singer and record producer Walter “Bunny” Sigler was born  in Philadelphia  on March 27, 1941. His first record appeared in 1958. A long time associate of producers Gamble and Huff, a number of singles by Bunny Sigler were released on the Neptune label, which was distributed by Chess. His best known single in the UK was the Northern Soul recording of “Let the good times roll” which was released on Cameo/Parkway, also of Philadelphia, in 1967. Bunny Sigler died from a heart attack at his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 6 October 2017.

A single by The Shirtails was scheduled to be released on Checker 1159 in 1966, but was unreleased until later when it was issued on a different label but using the original Checker stamps! The Shirtails were a group from The University of Cincinatti in the 1960s and were: Chuck Smith, guitar; Bill O'Connell; Jan Junge; John Palazzolo and Stuart Paine. The recording was produced by independent producers Gordon Neal and Herman Griffin, and arranged by Dale Warren who also worked for Stax and Motown.

  The Shirelles | Getty Images | tc659 One of the most famous girl groups of the late 1950s-early 1960s, The Shirelles were Shirley Owens (married name Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (married name Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie “Micki” Harris (married name Addie Harris McFadden) and Beverly Lee. Shirley Owens was born in Henderson, North Carolina on 10 June 1941. Doris Coley was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina on 2 August 1941 and died from breast cancer in Sacramento, California on 4 February 2000. Addie Harris was born in either New Jersey or North Carolina on 22 January 1940 and died from a backstage heart attack at a performance in Atlanta, Georgia on 10 June 1982. Beverly Lee was born in Passaic, New Jersey on 3 August 1941.

  Johnny Shines | Concert Vault | tc059 John Ned “Johnny” Shines was born oin Fraser, Memphis, Tennessee, on April 26, 1915.   He grew up steeped in music and met the legendary Robert Johnson, who encouraged him to pursue music as a job. His recordings with Chess – as “Shoe Shine Johnny” were made in 1950 (with Little Walter) but were not released. Shines took a job in construction and quit music but was rediscovered in the 1960s when his talent was finally recognise d.  Johnny Shines died in Tuscaloosa, Alabama from complications arising from diabetes and an amputation on April 20, 1992.

  Sahib Shihab | Jazz Wax | tc626 Jazz saxophonist and flautist Sahib Shihab, was born named Edmund Gregory, in Savannah, Georgia on June 23, 1925.   He is associated with Luther Henderson, Thelonious Monk, Fletcher Henderson, Tadd Dameron and Dizzy Gillespie.  Sahib Shihab died from liver cancer in Nashville, Tennessee on October 24, 1989.

  Marlena Shaw | Blue Note Records | tc153 Marlina Burgess (Marlena Shaw) was born  in New York  on 22 September 1942. A noted jazz, blues and soul singer/musician, her background was in jazz. Her career began in 1966 when she appeared at the Playboy Club in Chicago where she met with representatives of the Chess Records music label, and signed with them. She released her first two albums on Cadet. She went on to sing with the Basie Orchestra.  Marlena Shaw died peacefully at her home on 19 January 2024.

  Clarence Shaw | WBSS Media | tc617 Trumpeter Clarence Gene Shaw was born in Detroit, Michigan on June 16, 1926, was a decorated veteran of the Korean War.  While based in Detroit he played with Lester Young, Wardell Gray, Lucky Thompson and others.    In 1957 he was playing with Charles Mingus in his "Jazz Workshop". That ended wikth a huge row between the two. He then returned to Chicago to form his own band. Gene Shaw sadly died in Los Angeles from lung cancer on 17 August 1973.

  Elliott Shavers | Discogs | tc1134 Saxophonist and singer Elliott Shavers, whose real name is believed to be Elliott Chavers, led an instrumental band who made a number of records in the early 1960s, some of which were distributed by Chess. Elliott Chavers was born in Waco, Texas on November 15, 1930. He relocated to Los Angeles where the recordings are thought to have been made, including surfing music instrumentals. During the sixties he recorded with bands The Blazers and The Bossmen. Mr Chavers is thought to be deceased.

  The Sharps | Copyright control | tc352 The Sharps recording “Six months three weeks two days” was originally released on the Tag label in 1956 and reissued by Chess a couple of years later. The group used a number of names including The Lamplighters and The Rivingtons. They are understood to have been Al Frazier, John “Sonny” Harris, Carl White and Rocky Wilson. We think that is the lineup shown in the above picture. Some accounts mention Matthew Nelson as being a member. The recording of “Little bitty pretty one” identified as being by Thurston Harris and The Sharps is thought to feature the same group.

  Ralph Sharon | Corbis | tc123 Ralph Sharon was a jazz pianist who was  born on 17 September 1923 in Bethnal Green, East London.  The Ralph Sharon quartet who recorded on Argo in 1958 were Ralph Sharon, Allan Mack, Billy Exiner and Candido (no other name recorded). The tracks were recorded in New York in 1958. Ralph Sharon emigrated to America in 1953. Some of his early English recordings were issued by Melodisc. Shortly after the sessions for Argo, as well as gaining US citizenship, Sharon became the accompanist for singer Tony Bennett, with whom he and his quartet remained for more than four decades.  Ralph Sharon died from natural causes in Boulder, Colorado on 31 March 2015.

  The Shaprels | Restored by Google | tc394 The Shaprels were a group from Milwaukee and the members are known to be Jimmy Meier, Bob Sczweda, Tom Richards, Bob Mehring and Don Hrnjak. The group was produced for Chess by Ralph Bass. The group made a couple of records before fading into obscurity.

"The Shadow" appears to have been the Trinidadian calypso singer "The Mighty Shadow", Winston McGarland Bailey, who was born on 4 October 1941 and died on 23 October 2018. An All Platinum recording by him was issued under the Chess brand.

  The Shades of Brown LP Cover | AllMusic | tc230 Originally recording for ABC under the name The Mentors, The Shades of Brown were Bill Brown, Charles Scott, Earle Roberts and Christopher Allen and adopted their new name on signing for Cadet. Cadet hoped for a “Temptations” “psychesoul” style of sound. They issued one album produced by Bobby Miller, from which a few singles were drawn. Unfortunately the album was released at around the same time as Leonard Chess died and the company began to unravel. The group split up shortly afterwards. 

The Shades were a teenage garage rock band from Webster City, Iowa, and were: Jerry Foster, vocals; Doug Meyer, guitar; Bruce Seaboch, keyboards; John Hemmingway, bass and Bruce Hovland, drums. On 22 November 1967 they paid $300 to record at the Chess studios and Ron Malo recorded the session. The band split up in 1969 when they went to college.

Song writer and soul singer Kenny W. Seymour was associated with All Platinum Records who acquired Chess masters when they were sold by GRT. Some of his material appears on compilations with a Chess label. Kenny Seymour is known to be deceased but is undocumented.

  Paul Serrano | Serrano family | tc819 Trumpeter and sound engineer Paul Serrano was born in Chicago, Illinois on 1 January 1932. He attended the DuSable High School in Chicago. He then attended the Chicago Musical College but was called up for military service in the US Army. After leaving the Army he travelled to New York and joined Woody Herman’s band. Returning to Chicago he became a session musician and can be heard on hundreds of records made by Chess, Mercury and Brunswick. In 1966 he opened his own recording studio, his experience as a musician guided his engineering work. In 1992 he closed his studios and went to work for Delmark Records, where he stayed for more than ten years. “He had great recording technique, especially with microphone placement, and he knew how to get the real sound of an instrument that a lot of people couldn’t get,” said Steve Wagner of Delmark, who regarded Mr Serrano as a mentor. The many artists he recorded included Aretha Franklin, Michael Jack...

  The Sentimentals | Image restored by Google | tc481 A 1950s vocal group, the Sentimentals are understood to have been Sylvester Jackson, Floyd Bond, Edward Copeland, Kipling Pittman and Michael Riggins. In 1957 they auditioned for a gospel music label called Tuxedo who liked them and launched a separate label, Mint, to issue their recordings. Their recording on Mint was distributed nationally by Chess. There was another group also called The Sentimentals. Sadly they are all undocumented.

  The Sensations | Liveauctiongroup | tc004 The Sensations formed in 1954 as the Cavaliers but disbanded in 1957. In 1961, bass singer Alphonso Howell persuaded Yvonne Mills Baker that the group should re-form. They were signed to Chess’ Argo label. “Music, Music, Music” and “Let Me In” were big successes but the success was not sustained. Yvonne Baker has since enjoyed a solo career. The line up was Yvonne Baker, George Minor, Richard Curtain and Alphonso Howell.  Alphonso Howell was born on 4 September 1936 and died following a heart attack, on May 7, 1998. Yvonne Baker was born on 15 February 1933 and died on 3 May 2020. George Minor and Richard Curtain are both undocumented.

  The Seminoles | Reflections Music | tc420 Very little information is available about The Seminoles, who were a vocal group from Detroit. The lead singer is thought to have been Joey Finazzo (rear in the picture) and the other group members are known as Andy, Al, and Paul (front left to right) but no surnames for them have been found. They were associated with Roquel “Billy” Davis before he moved to Chess Records, and he took them with him. We are not aware of US release numbers for their material. The group then split up. Joey Finazzo is better known as a member of the Reflections who has also sung with the Four Seasons and other groups and is still active but no biographical details are currently available.

Hop Wilson | Texas State Historical Association | tc 1133 Guitarist and steel guitarist Harding "Hop" Wilson is associated with the drummer Ivory Lee Semien. Hop Wilson was born in Grapeland, Texas on 27 April 1921. From 1942 to 1946 he served in the US Army. He was a Private First Class but records indicate he was a disabled veteran. Hop Wilson and Ivory Semien toured and performed widely throughout East Texas and Louisiana through the 1950s and 1960s. Wilson played an 8 string console lap steel Hawaiian guitar and influenced guitarists Jimmie Vaughan and Johnny Winter. Hop Wilson died in Houston, Texas from respiratory arrest caused by brain damage following a suspected stroke, on 27 August 1975.

  Ivory Lee Semien | Image Restored by Google Archive | tc1132 Drummer, singer, talent scout,l entrepreneur and record company owner Ivory Lee Semien ran a record store in Houston, Texas and founded the Ivory Record label. He is associated with his partner Harding "Hop"  Wilson. Ivory Lee Semien was born in Washington, Louisiana on 13 September 1931. He died in Houston, Texas on 2 March 2002.

  Charles Segar | Instagram | Image Restored By Google Archive | tc1131 Mainly known as the first person to record, and the co-writer of, the blues classic song “Key to the highway”, Blues guitarist, pianist, singer and songwriter Charles “Chas” (or Charlie) Segar is thought to have been born in Louisiana in 1904, and is associated with King Oliver. He was based in Chicago and recorded there from around 1934 to 1941. His signature song "Key to the highway" was recorded in 1940. He was still performing in the 1960s. Charles Segar died in Chicago, Illinois on 10 December 1957. In 2018 his unmarked grave was honoured by a headstone provided by the Killer Blues Headstone Project.

  Shirley Scott | Mosaic/Blue Note | tc226 Jazz organist Shirley Scott, “The Queen of the Organ”, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 14 March 1934.  She is associated musically with her husband, Stanley Turrentine, and with Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis. She recorded for Cadet Records in the late 1960s. She played piano and trumpet before switching to the Hammond Organ.  Shirley Scott died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  from heart failure caused by diet drugs,  on 10 March  2002. 

Ray Scott | Spotify | tc1130 Rockabilly and country music singer Harold Raymond Scott was born in Bicknell, Indiana on 26 March 1929. He became famous for the recording "Flying Saucers Rock and Roll" which he wrote after spotting a UFO while attending a drive-in cinema. The song, composed in 1952, became a hit in 1957. In the mid fifties he moved to Memphis, Tennessee and regularly submitted demos to Sun Records. He quit music in 1971 and ran a taxi firm in Memphis. Ray Scott died from a heart attack in Indiana on 17 October 1999.

  Cindy Scott | Second hand songs | tc739 Singer Sandra Kay Tucker “Cindy Scott” was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 23 March 1948. She is related to singers Lynda Laurence (The Supremes), Tammi Terrell and Bunny Sigler. Her father was legendary gospel singer Ira Tucker (1925-2008) of the Dixie Hummingbirds (who can be heard on Paul Simon's "Loves me like a rock"). After a deal with Don Robey of Duke Records turned sour, she changed her stage name to Cindy Scott for legal reasons. Ms Scott joined The Three Degrees in 1967 and is still living, managing her musical catalogue.

  Thornel Schwartz | Blue Note | tc192 Influential jazz guitarist Thornel Schwartz was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 29 May 1927 , and is  associated with organist Jimmy Smith, but also accompanied Big Joe Turner, Babs Gonzales, Joe Williams, Johnny “Hammond” Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Larry Young and others. His guitar work with Jimmy Smith from 1956 defined an era of organ based trios. His 1962 album “Soul Cookin’” was released on Argo records in 1962 and was his only album as a band leader .  Thornel Schwartz died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 30, 1977. (Some official documents have his name as Thornal.)

Session drummer Scott Schoer is featured on a Chess album by jazz musician Brother Jack McDuff, which was recorded by All Platinum in New York after they had acquired Chess Records. Mr. Schoer is undocumented.

Harvey Scales | Chicago Reader | tc222 Harvey Scales, who was born in Osceola, Arkansas on 27 September 1942, is an R&B and Soul singer who started performing in the early 1960s. In 1961 he formed the band "Harvey Scales and The Seven Sounds" which recorded for Stax. However he is best known as a song writer, with many successful songs to his credit, including “Disco Lady” by Johnnie Taylor, which he co-wrote. As well as Chess, he is associated with Stax Records, various record labels in Philadelphia and Detroit, and producer Don Davis. Mr Scales died from pneumonia and kidney failure in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on 11 February 2019.

  Johnny Sayles | Soul Source | tc388 Singer John Earl "Johnny" Sayles, pictured in the 1980s, was born in Winnsboro, Texas, on 9 February 1937.  At the age of 18 he was fronting a band working at Chuck Berry’s club. He quit music for a short time to study, but resumed music in 1963. He is also associated with Lou Rawls, Ike Turner and Eugene Neal's Rocking Kings. He made some recordings for a number of labels but preferred live performances to making records.  Johnny Sayles died from a heart attack in Chicago, Illinois on 17 August 1993. 

Chicago based blues singer Bobby Thomas (Bobby Saxton) is mainly known for his Checker recording “Trying to make a living” which was originally issued on the Bea and Baby label then picked up by Chess for national distribution.  This recording, which was recorded at Chicago's Hall Studios on 15 January 1960. The line up on the recording is: Bobby Thomas, vocal; Earl Hooker, guitar; Ernest Cotton, saxophone; Sax Mallard, saxophone; Paul Hankins, piano; Margo Gibson, bass; Bobby Little, drums.  Thanks to Dena for her help. Bobby Saxton was born in Peoria, Illinois, but is otherwise undocumented.

Duke Savage and The Arribins was a late 1950s vocal group who had a single issued on Argo: "Your Love" (Argo 5346, 1959). Duke Savage and the other members of the group on the recording are undocumented, however the Savage family is a known musical family which includes the singer Chantay Savage. The record issued had been mastered at Sheldon Recording Studios in Chicago, who were often used by Chess. 

Sylvester “Slim” Saunders Jr. was a New Orleans vocalist whose recording of “Lets Have some fun” was recorded in New Orleans and leased to Chess for national distribution in 1954. Sylvester Saunders,Jr. was born in New Orleans on December 24, 1929 and died on September 14, 1998. His nickname is also known to be “Sil” and could have been credited incorrectly on the Chess record label. He was buried at Roch Cemetry, New Orleans. His discs were recorded by Cosimo Matassa. Many thanks to Marc for the information concerning this artist.

  Red Saunders | Clemson University | tc650 Jazz drummer, multi instrumentalist and bandleader Theodore Dudley “Red” Saunders was born in Memphis, Tennessee on March 2, 1912.   He is associated with Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Rosetta Tharpe, Willie Mabon, LaVern Baker and Woody Herman.  Red Saunders led the house band at Chicago's Club DeLisa from 1937 to 1958. At the same time his orchestra was providing backing at sessions for most of Chicago's independent record companies. He  died from a combination of heart arrest, heart failure and diabetes in Chicago, Illinois on March 5, 1981.

  Louis Satterfield | Alchetron | tc810 Bassist Louis Edward Satterfield was born in Shaw, Mississippi on 3 April 1937. In the late 1950s and while attending Chicago’s Crane Junior College he formed a student jazz band, which included Maurice White on drums and Charles Handy on trumpet. The three of them secured regular session work at Chess Records. He is most famous for the bass line on “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass and can also be heard on recordings by Billy Stewart and others. While with Chess Records, Mr Satterfield gave lessons to young musicians learning bass guitar. He also co-authored a book on playing bass guitar. Mr Satterfield died in Cook County, Chicago, Illinois on 27 September 2004 and was buried in Mount Olive, Bolivar County, Mississippi.

The Satellites were a studio band of session musicians who were hired by Dick Simon's Satellite Records of Chicago, whose records, along with those on their Thomas label, were distributed for them by Chess. They were frequently led by saxophonist, organist, record producer and song writer Monk Higgins. Simons  closed down the record labels in 1967 and Chess bought up all the assets, including the recording equipment as well as the artists' contracts. Other members of The Satellites included arranger, trumpeter and orchestra leader Burgess Gardner, singer, studio manager and record producer Chuck Bernard, guitarist Freddy Robinson and singer and song writer Morris Dollison, who was better known as Cash McCall.

  Luther Steinberg and his Orchestra | Sandra Steinberg | tc480 Luther McCallum Steinberg, also known as Lou Sargent, was a Memphis based trumpet player from a well known musical family. His father was Milton Gus Steinberg, who played in W.C. Handy’s band, while one of his brothers, the bassist Lewis Steinberg, was one of the original members of Booker T and the MGs (and is one of the writers of their landmark composition "Green Onions").  Luther McCallum Steinberg Sr. was born in Memphis, Tennessee on 24 October 1929.  During a long career he played with many top rated jazz and blues musicians. The Chess recordings issued under the name of Lou Sargent were recorded at The Memphis Recording Service by Sam Phillips in 1951.  He died in a road traffic accident in Memphis on 24 December 1999, age 70.

Jessie Sanders | Facebook | tc1129 Policeman, guitarist and singer Jessie Sanders was born in Florence, Mississippi on 26 July 1930. He moved to Chicago in 1945 and became a member of Howlin' Wolf's band. He worked for the Chicago Police Department for 47 years. Jessie Sanders is remembered for his booming voice and died from poor health after a series of strokes in Memphis, Tennessee on 20 June 2018.   

  Clarence Samuels | Google Archive restoration | tc069 Now almost forgotten, Clarence Wilhelma Samuels was a blues singer who was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on 30 October 1923. He moved to New Orleans in 1943.  Samuels made his first recordings for Aristocrat (Chess) in Chicago in 1947 and 1948. He was associated with the band leader Roy Brown of “Good rocking tonight” fame. He and Brown also performed as “The Blues Twins”. He recorded for a number of labels and made his final recording in 1966. He also toured Europe and appeared at the Blues Estafette 2000.  Clarence Samuels died in Westwego, Louisiana on 21 May 2002. 

  Discogs | tc1118 Saloom, Sinclair and Mother Bear were a late 1960s group who recorded an album in 1968 for Cadet Concept. On the album they were: singer and songwriter Roger Saloom, singer Robin Sinclair, guitarist Tom Davis, keyboards Dick Orvis, bass John Bolling and drums Phil Montgomery. Mother Bear were formed when Roger Saloom was attending Indiana University, Bloomington. Roger Saloom was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1946. He is the subject of a documentary about him and despite heart problems is still active in local music in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Robin Sinclair is undocumented.

Brazilian pianist, arranger and conductor Daniel Salinas' funk-jazz album "Atlantis" (1973) was issued on the Cadet label in 1974. Daniel Salinas was born in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1935 and began studying piano at the Musical Institute of  S ã o Paulo when he was nine. 

  The Salem Travellers | Public domain | tc1126 The Salem Travellers who recorded for Checker were formed in 1962 at the Greater Salem Baptist Church, South Side, Chicago and are understood to have been Arther Davis, Robert Dixon, Chester Feemster, Samuel Hanchett, Talman Thomas and William Ford. Working with Ralph Bass and Sonny Thompson of Chess they developed a "gospel funk" style with conga drums, guitars and a Motown style back beat. Their songs concentrated on social problems of the day. Most of the original 1960s members are deceased. The Travellers ceased performing in 2023.

  Del Saint | Delano Sinchak | tc285 Delano Bernard Sinchak (Del Saint) was born in 1935. He formed a polka band when he was twelve years old. The band switched to rock and roll and became known as Del Saint and The Devils. The members were Delano Sinchak, Ed Ryczaj, Sandy Jackintell, George Karas and Bob Smercansky. The band was still performing in 1999 – having reverted to Polka music. Mr Sinchak is 91 and is still living. His personal web page is no longer available.

  Oliver Sain | St. Louis Riverfront Times/Copyright Control | tc835 Saxophonist, song writer, band leader, drummer and record producer Oliver Sain Jr. was born in Dundee, Mississippi on 1 March 1932. As a child he played trumpet and drums. In 1949 he moved to Greenville, Mississippi to become drummer in Sonny Boy Williamson’s band, but quickly found the same position in Howlin’ Wolf’s band. He was drafted into the US Army and served in the Korean war. On discharge he took up saxophone and joined Little Milton’s band. In 1955 he moved to Chicago, rejoining Howlin’ Wolf’s band and becoming a regular at Chess. He recruited Fontella Bass as a pianist for Little Milton’s band, then discovered she could sing. He then installed Fontella Bass and Bobby McClure as lead singers in his Soul Revue. Bass was replaced by Barbara Carr. In 1965 he established the Archway studio in St. Louis, recording acts such as The Montclairs. Mr Sain died in St. Louis on 28 October, 2003 from bladder and bone...

  The Rustix LP Cover | All Music | tc235 The Rustix were a rock group from New York who had one single on Cadet before signing with Motown. The members were Chuck Brucato, Ron Collins, David Colon, Bob D’Andrea (now deceased), Vinnie Strenk and Al Galich. David Colon is now an artist while Chuck Brucato is still active in music.

Orchestra leader , composer, bass player, and producer  Al Russ  was born in or around Cleveland, Ohio in 1918. He studied music at Case Western Universoty and New York Univers ity. His orchestra mainly produced easy listening, pop and instrumental music. He conducted summer music programmes in Cleveland. He did arrangements for ballad singer Perry Como. Al Russ died from natural causes in Cleveland, Ohio in 1998. 

  Jimmy Rushing | All About Blues Music | tc 648 Blues and jazz singer and pianist James Andrew “Jimmy” Rushing was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on 26 August 1901.  He came to prominence as the featured vocalist of Count Basie’s Orchestra from 1935 to 1950 . His powerful voice could soar over the big orchestra. He considered himself mainly as a ballad singer. He is also associated with Dave Brubeck, Humphrey Lyttelton, Buck Clayton and Coleman Hawkins.  Jimmy Rushing died from leukemia in Manhattan, New York City on 8 June 1972.

  Otis Rush | All about Jazz | tc409 Blues singer and musician Otis Rush was born in Philadelphia, Mississippi on 29 April 1934. When he was eight he self-taught himself to play his brother's guitar.  His style was affected by his left handedness. He moved to Chicago in 1948, initially worked in the stockyards, and after a period with other labels joined Chess in 1960. In 2003 he had a major stroke which ended his touring and recording career.  Otis Rush died from complications after a stroke in Chicago, Illinois on 29 September 2018.

  Bobby Rush | Arkansas.com | tc305 Blues and R&B singer, musician Emmit Ellis Jr (Bobby Rush) was born on November 10, 1933. He was born in Homer, Louisiana but his family migrated to Chicago in the 1950s. He was nominated for a 2013 Blues Music Award in the ‘Soul Blues Male Artist’ category. He has three Grammy awards.

  Jimmy Ruffin | Amazon | tc118 Jimmy Lee Ruffin was born in Colinsville, Mississippi, on 7 May 1939 and is best known for his Tamla Motown recording “What becomes of the broken hearted”. He found success in America hard to sustain and moved to the United Kingdom, signing with Polydor and Chess Records, living in the UK permanently during the 1980s, but returned to America where he died in Las Vegas on 17 November 2014. Mr Ruffin became an anti-drug advocate following the 1991 drug overdose death of his younger brother David Ruffin, a former lead singer with The Temptations.

David Ruffin | Pinterest | tc479 Singer Davis Eli “David” Ruffin, former lead singer of The Temptations, was born in Whynot, Mississippi, on 18 January 1941.  With a highly distinctive voice, Ruffin was ranked as one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2008. Prior to signing with Motown and becoming a Temptation, when they were at the peak of their success, Ruffin had recorded with the Chess Detroit subsidiary CheckMate. Personal issues began to take over his life. In 1982 he was sentenced to six months prison for failing to pay taxes during the mid-1970s. In 1986 he pleaded no contest to a charge of receiving and concealing a stolen gun worth less than $100 and was fined $50 plus $100 in court costs. In 1987 a cocaine arrest landed him in jail for repeated parole violations. David Ruffin died in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 1 June 1991 of “an adverse reaction to drugs”. Most people are already aware that Jimmy Ruffin, a fellow Motown singer,...

  Laura Rucker | Image Restored by Google Archive | tc1125 Laura Rucker was a blues pianist and singer who is associated with the big band era, her duets with Georgia Tom Dorsey and her singing with pianist Earl Hines. Laura Rucker was born on 31 October 1903. Her earliest known recording is around 1926. She was a regular performer in Chicago clubs, usually with drummer "Baby" Dodds. One of those performances greatly influenced the singer Peggy Lee. Ms Rucker had recorded for a number of labels including Decca before joining Aristocrat in 1947, where she recorded a number of tracks with the Claude McLin Combo. Her best known track from these sessions, Crying the blues, was recorded on March 22, 1949. Laura Rucker died on 7 December 1990.

  Rotary Connection | Jazz Music Archives | tc148 Rotary Connection was formed in 1966 by Marshall Chess, who wanted to focus on music outside of the blues and rock genres, which had made the Chess label popular. Rotary Connection were Charles Stepney and members of a rock group called the Proper Strangers: Bobby Simms, Mitch Aliotta, and Ken Venegas. Sidney Barnes, a songwriter within the Chess organization, also joined, with Judy Hauff and Minnie Riperton, who was a receptionist at Chess. Phil Upchurch and drummer Morris Jennings completed the band. One of Chess’ most expensive projects, with many tracks featuring the full Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the finished album was not easy to program on radio.

Dalton Rousseaux | The Times-Picayune | tc1124 Jazz and R&B trumpet player and mentor Dalton Joseph Rousseaux was a premier session musician who  was born in 1930 and  helped to develop the New Orleans sound especially with his work with record producer Cosimo Matassa. You can hear him on Clarence Frogman Henry's "But I do" (which also features Allen Toussaint on piano). He co-founded the Original Crescent City Jazz Band (with bassist "Big" Joe Simon).  Dalton Rousseaux died in Metairie, Louisiana on 20 July 2018.

Soul, R&B and blues singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist John W. Ross Jr. was born in Miller, Indiana, on 28 May 1942. He was founding member and main guitarist of Baby Huey and The Babysitters in 1962. He went on  to record soul singles with his own group, Johnny Ross and The Soul Explosions. Johnny Ross died in Hobart, Indiana from heart failure and appendicitis, on 9 February 2006.

Jackie Ross | BSN | tc019 Jaculyn Bless "Jackie" Ross was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on 30 January 1946. She began singing on her parents' gospel music radio show age 3! The family relocated to Chicago in 1954. She was discovered by Sam Cooke in 1962, and worked with Syl Johnson before signing with Chess in 1964, staying with Chess for three years. “Selfish One” was her biggest hit. She continued to record after leaving Chess, then decided to go back to singing gospel music in and around Chicago.

  Dr Ross | Wirz | tc100 Charles Isaiah Ross was born in Tunica, Mississippi, on October 21, 1925. He played drums and harmonica. He acquired the nickname of Doctor because of his habit of carrying his harmonicas in a black bag that resembled a doctor’s bag. He was also known as the Harmonica Boss. Memphis based, some of his Sun recordings, made from 1951 to 1954, were licenced to Chess. In 1954 he moved to Flint, Michigan, and worked for  Chevrolet. In the 1960s he recorded for Blue Horizon Records in London. Charles Ross died in Flint, Michigan on May 28, 1993. 

  Billy Root | Jazzofilo | tc606 Jazz tenor and baritone saxophonist of the be-bop era William “Billy” Root was born in Philadelphia on March 6, 1934. He began playing saxophone age 10. He first went on the road at 16 with the Hal McIntyre Orchestra. He is associated with Stan Kenton and Buddy Rich. He moved to Las Vegas where he played in casino bands for two decades. He then became a lecturer.  Billy Root died on 30 July 2013.

  Dave Van Ronk | Rolling Stone | tc645 Folk singer David Kenneth Ritz Van Ronk was born in Brooklyn, New York City on June 30, 1936. He served in the Merchant Marine. He first came to notice in the late 1950s playing tenor banjo in jazz bands. He was a key figure in American folk music and the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1960s, being awarded an ASCAP Lifetime Achievement Award in December 1997. He mentored other up and coming singers including Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan.  David Ritz died in New York City on February 10, 2002 of complications following cancer.

The duo "Ron and Bill" were none other than Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, and his partner the singer and songwriter Roquel "Billy" Davis, they had a deep early connection with Chess and when they formed the Tamla label they secured distribution through Chess. Ron and Bill's recording "Don't feel sorry for me" (Tamla 54001, 1959) was the first recording to be issued under the arrangement. Billy Davis subsequently moved to Chicago to work full time for Chess.

  Timmie Rogers | TV Party | tc227 Pioneering singer-songwriter, musician, actor and comedian Timothy Louis Ancrum " Timmie Rogers" was born on 4 July 1914.  He rebelled against the traditions of the time and refused to wear blackface make up - in other words he insisted on being himself, not a caricature. Rogers was inducted into the National Comedy Hall of Fame in 1993 and it could be said that he opened the door for other performers such as Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby. In September 1949 he appeared in the first all-black artistes television programme (on CBS).He played an unusual ten stringed instrument called a Tiple. He recorded for a number of record labels during his long career.  Timmie Rogers died on December 17, 2006, cause not recorded.

  Jimmy Rogers | Public domain | tc057 Jay Arthur Lane (Jimmy Rogers) was born in Ruleville, Mississippi, on June 3, 1924.   He is best known for his work as a member of Muddy Waters’ band of the 1950s and playing on so many Chess recordings from the start of the label and throughout the 1950s, as well as for his solo hit recordings. In the early 1960s he joined Howlin' Wolf’s band. In 1995 Rogers was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. He continued touring and recording albums until his death.  Jimmy Rogers died from  colon cancer  in Chicago, Illinois on December 19, 1997.  His son Jimmy D. Lane is active in the music business.

Tenor saxophonist Arnold Rogers was a session musician who was in the Chess house band during the 1960s. He plays saxophone on the 1964 recording of "Killing Floor" by Howlin' Wolf. He is undocumented.

  Sherrill Roecker | Copyright control | tc570 Pop and soul singer Sherrill Weiss (Sherrill Roecker) of New Jersey near Philadelphia was born in 1942.  Her father was the light classical singer Eddie Roecker (1910-1975), a veteran of Broadway, radio and television as well as recordings.  Sherrill married lawyer Allan Joseph Weiss and they lived in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Sherrill Weiss died in 2004. She is partly documented.