Musician Jesse Belvin DIES IN A CAR CRASH 1960 Evergreen Cemetery

Jesse Lorenzo Belvin (December 15, 1932 – February 6, 1960) was an American rock and roll singer, pianist and songwriter popular in the 1950s, whose success was cut short by his death in a car crash aged 27.[1]

Background

Belvin was born in San Antonio, Texas, United States,[2][3] and moved with his family to Los Angeles at the age of five.[1]

In 1950, he joined saxophonist Big Jay McNeely's backing vocal quartet, Three Dots and a Dash, and featured prominently on their record releases. In 1952, he joined Specialty Records. Although his early solo records were unsuccessful, his fourth record, "Dream Girl," credited to Jesse and Marvin and featuring Marvin Phillips on saxophone,[1] reached No. 2 on the US Billboard R and B chart in 1953.[4][5][6]

Along with Charles Wright, Belvin was involved with Kent-Modern A and R man Tony Hilder in the late 1950s.[7]

Career

Having been drafted into the army around 1953, Belvin continued to write songs. His composition "Earth Angel," eventually co-credited to Belvin and Hollywood Flames singers Curtis Williams and Gaynel Hodge after a legal dispute, was recorded by The Penguins, and became one of the first R and B singles to cross over onto the pop charts, selling a million copies in 1954/55.[5]

In 1956, he signed a contract with Modern Records, but also continued to sing for other labels under different names. His biggest hit was "Goodnight My Love"[1] which reached No. 7 on the R and B chart. The piano on the session was reportedly played by 11-year-old Barry White. The song became the closing theme to Alan Freed's rock and roll radio shows.[5]

Belvin's other recordings for Modern were less successful, and in 1958 he recorded on Dot Records with a group, the Shields, who included lead singer Frankie Ervin and guitarist Johnny "Guitar" Watson.[1] Their record, "You Cheated," reached No. 15 on the US pop chart and No. 11 on the R and B chart.[6] He also recorded with Eugene Church as the Cliques on a less successful single, "The Girl in My Dreams," which was covered by the Four Lovers (two of whose members, including Frankie Valli, would later become The Four Seasons).[5]

By early 1959, Tender Records had a 45 out credited to Belvin and The Capris. The single "Beware" which was composed by J. Dolphin. It was backed with "Endless Love," a K. C. Reeth and Robert Hafner composition.[8][9]

Inspired by his wife and manager Jo Ann to develop his style, Belvin signed to RCA Records in 1959, and immediately had a Top 40 hit with "Guess Who," written by his wife.[1] This song originally started as a love letter from her to him, and Belvin turned it into the hit song it became.[10] He also recorded an album, Just Jesse Belvin, developing a more mature and sophisticated sound on ballads. His style was influenced by Nat "King" Cole and Billy Eckstine,[1] and became a model for Sam Cooke and others. He acquired the nickname "Mr. Easy," and the record company began moulding him as a potential crossover star for white audiences, as well as a professional rival to Capitol Records' recording star Nat "King" Cole.[5]

Belvin recorded a further series of tracks later in the year, with arranger Marty Paich and an orchestra including saxophonist Art Pepper. The songs included soulful covers of standards such as "Blues in the Night," "In the Still of the Night," and "Makin' Whoopee," and were issued on the album Mr. Easy.[11]

However, before the album was issued, and shortly after finishing a performance in Little Rock on a bill with Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, and Marv Johnson, on February 6, 1960, Belvin and his wife were killed in a head-on collision at Hope, Arkansas.[12] The concert was the first concert played before an integrated audience in the history of Little Rock, and was stopped twice by interruptions from whites in the audience, shouting racial epithets and urging the white teenagers in attendance to leave at once. There had also been several death threats on Belvin prior to the concert, which led to speculation that his car had been tampered with prior to the accident. The 2019 Netflix documentary Remastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke included statements attributing the cause of Belvin's car accident to a slashed tire(s).[13]

Belvin was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.[2]

In 1962, a single "Tonight My Love" bw "Looking For Love" was released posthumously on Tony Hilder's Impact label.[14] 

Crown released The Unforgettable Jesse Belvin in 1961.

References

1. Colin Larkin, ed. (2002). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 38. ISBN 1-85227-937-0.
2. Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 373. ISBN 978-0313344237.
3. "FamilySearch". Familysearch.org. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
4. Jesse Belvin, Jr. interview on YouTube
5. "Jesse Belvin | Biography and History". AllMusic. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
6. "Jesse Belvin Page". Soulwalking.co.uk. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
7. Who Put the Bomp No.14, Fall 1975 - Page 12 "The Tony Hilder Story" by John Blair and Bill Smart
8. Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series - Page 1192 MUSIC
9. The Billboard, 23 Feb 1959 - Page 51 * Reviews of New Pop Records
10. Arnold Shaw, Honkers and Shouters: The Golden Years of Rhythm and Blues. Crowell-Collier Press, New York, 1978, p. 210.
11. "Mr. Easy - Jesse Belvin | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
12. "Rock-N-Roll Singer Jessie Belvin, Wife Die in Crash", Jet Magazine, February 25, 1960, p. 59.
13. "ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke | Netflix Official Site". Netflix.com. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
14. "Bomp 14 (Fall 1975)". Archive.org. October 21, 1975. Retrieved October 21, 2019.