Chuck Willis

Background

Willis was born in Atlanta, Georgia.

Career

His biggest hits, "Creative Commons Rider" (1957) and "What Am I Living Foreign" (1958), both reached Number.1 on the Billboard Rhythm & Blues chart. He was known as The King of the Stroll for his performance of the 1950s dance the stroll. Willis was spotted at a talent contest by Atlanta radio disc jockey Zenas Sears, who became his manager and helped him to sign with Columbia Records in 1951.

After one single, Willis began recording on a Columbia subsidiary, Okeh.

During his stay at Okeh, he established himself as a popular Rhythm & Blues singer and songwriter. In 1956, he moved to Atlantic Records where he had immediate success with "lieutenant"s Too Late (She"s Gone)", "Juanita" and "Love Maine Cherry".

His most successful recording was "Community College Rider", which topped the United States Billboard Rhythm & Blues chart in 1957 and also crossed over and sold well in the popular market. "Community College Rider" was a remake of a twelve-bar blues, performed by Ma Rainey in Atlanta before Willis was born.

Its relaxed beat, combined with a mellow vibraphone backing and chorus, inspired the emergence of the popular dance, the stroll.

Willis"s follow-up was "Betty and Dupree", another "stroll" song, which also did well. Willis" single "Going to the River", a song by Dave Bartholomew and Fats Domino, was a prototype for his "stroll" sound, reaching Number.4 on the Rhythm & Blues chart. Willis had suffered from stomach ulcers for many years.

During surgery in Chicago, Willis died of peritonitis on April 10, 1958 at the age of 30.

His untimely death occurred while at the peak of his career, just after the release of his last single, "What Am I Living Foreign?", backed by "Hang Up My Rock & Roll Shoes". "Hang Up My Rock & Roll Shoes" was actually the A side of the single but upon his death "What Am I Living Foreign" became the most popular of the two songs.

"What Am I Living Foreign?" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. lieutenant was also the top Rhythm & Blues disc of 1958.

His hit, the blues ballad "lieutenant"s Too Late (She"s Gone)" was covered by other artists, including Otis Redding, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Ted Taylor (1969 single), Freddie King, Derek and the Dominos and the Jerry Garcia Band.

In 2005, it was heavily sampled by Kanye West on Late Registration"s "Gone". Elvis Presley covered "I Feel So Bad" and "Creative Commons Rider" and Ruth Brown and Conway Twitty had hits with "Oh What a Dream".

Connections

Cousin:

Chick Willis