Johnny
Adams, 67, Vocalist;
One
of the Legends in Blues
By PETER WATROUS
Johnny Adams, one of the last of the great blues and
ballad singers, died
on Monday in Baton
Rouge, La., where he lived. He was 67.
The cause was cancer, said a spokesman for his publicists, Myers Media,
in New York.
Adams was in many ways an anachronism, a singer who
could sing virtually
all the prewar styles
of American music. And he was an entertainer, with much of
his presentation coming
out of a tradition that included vaudeville; he pretended
to play the trombone,
or he would whistle and tell jokes. But his singing was flaw-
less; he could use
the gospel tradition with extraordinary ease and was also adept
at jazz singing.
Adams began his singing career in his hometown of New Orleans, working
in
a gospel group, the
Soul Revivers. In the mid-1950's, he sang with Beside Griffin and
her Soul Consolators,
and made the change into secular music while singing in a
bathtub. His upstairs
neighbor, Dorothy Labostrie, a songwriter, heard his version
of "Precious Lord,"
persuaded him to sing a song of hers, "Oh Why," and had him
signed with the local
Ric label. The first session was produced by Mac Rebennack, 18,
later known as Dr.
John; "Oh Why" was released as "I Won't Cry" and was a hit record
in New Orleans.
From then on, until Adams signed with Rounder Records in 1983, he worked
in
unfair obscurity.
His singing had a cool sense of relaxation and a ceaseless caressing
of notes. He attacked
and ornamented melodies in endless ways, either leaving them
plain, so the luxury
of his voice did the work, or charging them with falsettos and other
gospel filigrees.
But by the time Adams's abilities had come together, jazz and sophisticated
blues
singing weren't much
in demand. He had small local hits, and one national success with
"Losing Battle"; it
was widely reported that Berry Gordy Jr. at Motown wanted to sign him,
but his record company
threatened to sue.
In 1983 Adams started recording what became a nine-album series for Rounder,
and on these
records he moved from a tribute to the songwriting of Doc Pomus to tunes
that have become jazz
standards, like "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "Teach Me Tonight."
He recorded "One Foot
in the Blues," an album featuring Dr. Lonnie Smith on organ. The
connection with Rounder,
along with an increasing public appreciation, made him an
international concert
star, and during the last decade, he worked regularly. His most
recent recording,
"Man of My Word" (Rounder), was released in August.
He is survived by his wife, Judy.
New Orleans singer Johnny Adams died yesterday
morning, September 14th, after a long battle with cancer at
Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge.
He was 66 years old. Johnny was regarded by fans, critics and
musicians throughout the world as one of
the finest singers associated with New Orleans R&B and jazz.
Born Laten John Adams in New Orleans on January
5, 1932, Johnny was first drawn to gospel music, and was
featured with Bessie Griffin and the Consolators
while in his early twenties. He crossed the line to secular music
with his 1959 hit, “I Won’t Cry,” and subsequently
enjoyed a string of regional best-sellers, including
“Reconsider Me,” “Release Me” and “Hell Yes
I Cheated,” which lasted through the 1960s and 1970s. During
this time, he worked the circuit of black
nightclubs throughout the South, where audiences marveled at both the
range and beauty of his infinitely expressive
voice.
In 1983, Johnny teamed up with producer Scott
Billington and Rounder Records, and the nine albums they
created brought Johnny to the world at large.
On such recordings as Room With a View of the Blues, The Real
Me: The Songs of Doc Pomus, and One Foot
In the Blues, Johnny explored the full range of his talent, singing
jazz, R&B and blues, winning praise from
criitcs around the world. Among his many awards are a W. C. Handy
Award, a NAIRD Indie Award, six Big Easy
(New Orleans) Awards and several OffBeat (New Orleans) Best
of the Beat Awards.
Among the musicians who worked and recorded
with Johnny in recent years are Aaron Neville, Harry Connick,
Jr., David Torkanowsky, Dr. John, Duke Robillard
and jazz greats such as organist Dr. Lonnie Smith and
saxophonist Houston Person.
During the last decade, Johnny became a regular
attraction on stages around the world, perfroming frequently
in Europe. His most recent album, Man of
My Word, was released in August, and finds him returning to the
classic soul music sound.
Copyright
© 1998, OffBeat, Inc.
Sept
14, 1998