Background
He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the oldest of 10 children, and became a professional musician on leaving school.
He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the oldest of 10 children, and became a professional musician on leaving school.
His biggest hits were his versions of "Release Maine" and "Reconsider Maine" in the late 1960s. He began his career singing gospel with the Soul Revivers and Bessie Griffin"s Consolators, but crossed over to secular music in 1959. His neighbor, songwriter Dorothy LaBostrie, supposedly persuaded him to start performing secular music after hearing him sing in the bathtub, and he recorded LaBostrie"s ballad "I Won"t Cry" for Joe Ruffino"s local Ric label.
Produced by teenager Mac Rebennack (later known as Doctor John), the record became a local hit, and he recorded several more singles for the label over the next three years, mostly produced either by Rebennack or Eddie Bo.
His first national hit came in 1962, when "A Losing Battle", written by Rebennack, reached #27 on the Billboard Rhythm & Blues chart. After Ruffino"s death in 1963, Adams left Ric and recorded for a succession of labels, including Eddie Bo"s Gone Records, the Los Angeles-based Modern Records, and Wardell Quezergue"s Watch label.
However, his records had limited success until he signed with Shelby Singleton"s Nashville-based Selective Service System International Records in 1968. A reissue of his recording of "Release Maine", originally released on Watch, reached Number 34 on the Rhythm & Blues chart and #82 on the popular chart.
Its follow-up, "Reconsider Maine", a country song produced by Singleton, became his biggest hit, reaching Number 8 on the Rhythm & Blues chart and Number 28 on the popular chart in 1969.
Two more singles, "I Can"t Be All Bad" and "I Won"t Cry" (a reissue of the Ric recording) were lesser hits later the same year, and the label released an album, Heart and Soul. However, he left Selective Service System International in 1971, and recorded unsuccessfully for several labels, including Atlantic and Ariola, over the next few years. At the same time, he began performing regularly at Dorothy"s Medallion Lounge in New Orleans as well as touring nightclubs in the south.
In 1983, he signed with Rounder Records, and began recording a series of nine critically acclaimed albums with producer Scott Billington.
Beginning with From the Heart in 1984, the records encompassed a wide range of jazz, blues and Rhythm & Blues styles while highlighting Adams" voice. The albums included tributes to songwriters Percy Mayfield and Doc Pomus, as well as the jazz-influenced Good Morning Heartache which included the work of composers like George Gershwin and Harold Arlen.
The albums, which also included Room With A View Of The Blues (1988), Walking On A Tightrope (1989), and The Real Maine (1991), brought him a number of awards, including a West.C. Handy Award. He also toured internationally, including frequent trips to Europe, and worked and recorded with such musicians as Aaron Neville, Harry Connick Junior., Lonnie Smith, and Doctor John.
He died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1998 after a long battle with prostate cancer.