Jimmy Lewis (musician)
| Jimmy Lewis | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | James Eddie Lewis |
| Born |
November 19, 1937 Itta Bena, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | September 11, 2004 (aged 66) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, soul, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, record producer |
| Instruments | Guitar, piano, vocals |
| Years active | c.1960 to 2000 |
| Labels | Era, Tangerine, Buddah, Hotlanta, Miss Butch |
| Associated acts |
The Drifters Ray Charles Peggy Scott |
James Eddie "Jimmy" Lewis (November 19, 1937 – September 11, 2004) was an American soul singer, songwriter, arranger and producer. He was a member of the Drifters in the 1960s, worked as a songwriter and producer with Ray Charles, and wrote songs for Z. Z. Hill among many others.
Born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, he moved to Los Angeles, California by the late 1950s. He worked with songwriter Cliff Chambers and arranger James Carmichael (later the producer with The Commodores and Lionel Richie), and released a string of singles on the Cyclone and Four-J labels, including "Wait Until Spring" and "What Can I Do Now", but with limited commercial success. In 1963 he joined the Drifters, replacing Bobby Hendricks as lead singer, and remained with the group for two years. Resuming his solo career, Lewis then released singles on the Minit label, including "The Girls from Texas" / "Let Me Know", produced by Jimmy Holiday, which later became popular on the British Northern soul scene.
In 1968, some of his songs were heard by Ray Charles, who was impressed and started a long period of collaboration with Lewis. Their duet, "If It Wasn't For Bad Luck", reached number 21 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 77 on the Hot 100 in 1969, and Lewis wrote and arranged every track on Charles’ album Doing His Thing, which was nominated for a Grammy Award. Lewis also wrote Charles' 1970 hit "If You Were Mine", and recorded several singles under his own name on Charles' Tangerine record label, including "I’ll Be Here" and "We Can Make It". Though critically acclaimed, his solo records continued to fail to reach the national charts. Nevertheless, he continued as a successful songwriter and producer for other musicians, including Arthur Adams ("It's Private Tonight", 1973), and John Edwards, whose version of Lewis' song "Careful Man" reached number 8 on the R&B chart in 1974.
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