Tommy_Edwards

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tommy Edwards Tommy Edwards Tommy Edwards Born February 17, 1922(1922-02-17) Richmond, Virginia, U.S. October 22, 1969 (aged 47) Henrico County, Virginia R&B, jazz, pop Singer, songwriter 1946-69 MGM Died Genre(s) Occupation(s) Years active Label(s) Tommy Edwards (February 17, 1922 — October 22, 1969)[1] was an African American singer and songwriter. His biggest-selling record was with the multi-million-selling song, "It’s All in the Game." Career Born Thomas Edwards in Richmond, Virginia, Edwards was an R&B singer most remembered for his 1958, Billboard No. 1, "It’s All in the Game." He sang his hit song on The Ed Sullivan Show, on 14 September, 1958. The song was composed by the then-future U.S. Vice-President, Charles G. Dawes in 1912, as "Melody in A Major," with lyrics written in 1951 by Carl Sigman. Edwards originally recorded and charted the song in 1951, but it only climbed to # 18 on the chart. The better-known 1958 version was on the same record label (MGM) and backed by the same orchestra leader (Leroy Holmes), but with a different arrangement more suited to the rock and roll-influenced style of the time. As well as topping the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the song also got to number one on the R&B chart, and in the UK Singles Chart.[2] The single sold over 3.5 million copies globally, earning gold disc status.[2] The gold disc was presented in November 1958.[3] He had a more modest hit with the follow-up, "Love is All We Need," which climbed to #15 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Edwards began performing in Richmond when he was nine.[1] He made his first impact in R&B circles in 1946, writing "That Chick’s Too Young to Fry."[1] It was a sizeable hit for Louis Jordan.[4] Edwards began recording for the Top label in 1949, and had his first hit in 1951 with "All Over Again" for MGM, a song that made it to number ten on the U.S. R&B chart.[1] When MGM heard his demo of it they gave him a recording contract.[2] Edwards later had another hit with a reworked song he had released in 1952, as "Please Mr. Sun" reached number 18 R&B and number 11 pop chart.[1] His last chart tune was "My Melancholy Baby" in 1959.[1] Although Edwards recorded a number of other songs, none came close to achieving the same level of success, though several of his songs later became hits for other artists (such as "A Fool Such As I" by Elvis Presley, "It’s All in the Game" by Cliff Richard and The Four Tops, and "Morning Side of the Mountain" recorded by Donny and Marie Osmond). He died after suffering a brain aneurysm in Henrico County, Virginia, at the age of 47.[2] The liner notes of his 1994 Eric Records release The Complete Hits of Tommy Edwards claim his death was caused by alcoholism. While the two may be related, there is no confirmation of this. Edwards received a Virginia Highway Marker in 2008. In July 2008, Richmond mayor L. Douglas Wilder signed a proclamation declaring 15 October 2008 "Tommy Edwards Day." Partial discography Singles (alphabetical) • • • • • • • • • "A Teardrop on a Rose" (1959) "All Over Again" (1951, #10 U.S. R&B)[1] "Baby, Baby, Baby" (1953, #26) "Blue Heartaches" (1960) "Don’t Fence Me In" (1960, #45)[5] "Honestly and Truly" (1959, #65)[5] "I Looked at Heaven" (1959, #100)[5] "I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry" "I Really Don’t Want to Know" (1960, #18)[5] • "Isle of Capri" 1 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia • "I’ve Been There" (1959, #53)[5] • "It All Belongs To You" (1959) • "It’s All in the Game" (1951, #18; rerecorded in stereo in 1958, reaching #1) • "It’s Not The End Of Everything" (1960, #78)[5] • "It’s Only The Good Times" (1959, #86)[5] • "Love Is All We Need" (1958, #15)[5] • "Morning Side of the Mountain" (1951, #24, re-released 1959, reached #27)[5] • "Mr. Music Man" (1958) • "Music Maestro Please" (1959) • "My Melancholy Baby" ((1959, #26)[5] • "(New In) The Ways Of Love" (1959, #47)[5] • "(Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such as I" (1953, #24) • "Once There Lived a Fool" (1959) • "Paradise" (1959) • "Please Love Me Forever" (1958, #61)[5] • "Please Mr. Sun" (1952 #22, re-released 1959, #11)[1] • "Secret Love" (1954, #28) • "She Sends Her Regards" (1959) • "Take These Chains From My Heart" (1959) • "There Was A Time" • "Unloved" • "Up In a Cloud" (1959) • "Vaya con Dios" (1961) • "Wall of Ice" • "Where I May Live With My Love" • "You Win Again" (1952, #13) Tommy Edwards The recording "Take These Chains From My Heart" is heard on compact disc in rechanneled stereo, because, as with the above song, the original stereo master was lost or destroyed. These recordings were issued on the MGM record label, unless otherwise noted. "It’s All In The Game" (1958 version) was produced by Harry Myerson. He is assumed to be the producer for all tracks from this point forward, although this can not be confirmed. The orchestra was conducted and the arrangements were made on all records by LeRoy Holmes. See also • List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.) • List of artists who reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart • List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart • List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart • List of deaths in rock and roll • List of number-one rhythm and blues hits (United States) References [1] ^ "Biography by Ron Wynn". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/ cg/ amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:hpfuxqe5ldje. Retrieved on 7 January 2008. [2] ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 101. ISBN 0-214-20512-6. [3] Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock ’N’ Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 60. CN 5585. [4] Books.google.co.uk [5] ^ Allmusic.com - Charts & Awards Albums • It’s All In The Game Tommy Edwards MGM E 3732 • The Very Best of Tommy Edwards (1963, Cat. No. E/SE 4141) • Tommy Edwards in Hawaii (1960, Cat. No. E/SE 3838) • Tommy Edwards (Lion Records of Canada, Cat. No. L 70120) • For Young Lovers (1959, Cat. No. E/SE 3670) • Tommy Edwards’ Greatest Hits (1961, Cat No. E/SE 3884) Production notes The recording "Honestly and Truly" is only heard on compact disc in mono, because the original stereo master tape was either lost or destroyed. External links • More Biographical Information • Oldies.com biography of Tommy Edwards • Fansite with discography and song lyrics Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Edwards" 2 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tommy Edwards Categories: 1922 births, 1969 deaths, African American musicians, American pop singers, American male singers, People from Richmond, Virginia, MGM Records artists This page was last modified on 29 April 2009, at 15:38 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers 3