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Edwin Starr (January 21, 1942 – April 2, 2003) was an American soul music
Soul music

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the African American culture through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, Secularity testifying." The genre occasion...
 singer. Starr is most famous for his Norman Whitfield
Norman Whitfield

Norman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter and Record producer, best known for his work with Berry Gordy's Motown label during the 1960s....
 produced
Record producer

In the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, Audio mixing and audio mastering processes....
 Motown singles
Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
 of the 1970s, most notably the number one hit "War".
r was born Charles Edwin Hatcher in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the Capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis, Tennessee....
 in 1942. He and his cousins (soul singers Roger and Willie Hatcher) moved to Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the most populous county in the state. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 60 miles west of the Pennsylvania border....
 where they were raised.

In 1957, Starr formed a doo-wop
Doo-wop

Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music, which developed in African-American communities in the 1940s and which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s the 1960s....
 group, The Future Tones, and began his singing career.






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Edwin Starr (January 21, 1942 – April 2, 2003) was an American soul music
Soul music

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the African American culture through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, Secularity testifying." The genre occasion...
 singer. Starr is most famous for his Norman Whitfield
Norman Whitfield

Norman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter and Record producer, best known for his work with Berry Gordy's Motown label during the 1960s....
 produced
Record producer

In the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, Audio mixing and audio mastering processes....
 Motown singles
Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
 of the 1970s, most notably the number one hit "War".

Biography


Career

Starr was born Charles Edwin Hatcher in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the Capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis, Tennessee....
 in 1942. He and his cousins (soul singers Roger and Willie Hatcher) moved to Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the most populous county in the state. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 60 miles west of the Pennsylvania border....
 where they were raised.

In 1957, Starr formed a doo-wop
Doo-wop

Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music, which developed in African-American communities in the 1940s and which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s the 1960s....
 group, The Future Tones, and began his singing career. Starr lived in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Wayne County, Michigan. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwestern United States of the United States....
 in the 1960s and recorded at first for the small record label
Record label

In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of recorded sound and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the Record producer, manufacturing, distribution , marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protec...
 Ric-Tic, and later for the famed Motown after it absorbed Ric-Tic in 1968. Ric-Tic later funded a broadway musical under the same name throughout eastern Europe.

The song which began his career was "Agent Double'O'Soul" (1965), a take-off on the James Bond
James Bond

James Bond 007 is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections....
 films which were popular at the time. Other early hits included "Headline News", "Back Street", a cover of The Miracles "Way Over There", and the popular "S O S (Stop Her On Sight)". He recorded more soul music
Soul music

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the African American culture through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, Secularity testifying." The genre occasion...
 for the next three years before having an international chart-topper in "25 Miles" (1968), which peaked at #6 in the U.S. the following year.

The biggest hit of his career, which cemented his reputation as a great soul artist, was the anti-Vietnam War
Vietnam War

The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina Wars, the Vietnam Conflict, or often in Vietnam the American War occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1959 to April 30, 1975....
 protest song
Protest song

A protest song is a song which is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs . It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre....
 "War" (1970). A rousing tour-de-force, the vocals to "War" were - according to Starr - recorded in one take: an accomplishment which might make modern artists quail with apprehension. In explanation, Starr remained characteristically modest, explaining that he'd been allocated little studio time, so had to give each song his best shot. Starr's intense vocals transformed a Temptations
The Temptations

The Temptations are an American vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, funk , disco, soul music, and adult contemporary music....
 album track into a #1 chart success, which spent three weeks in that top position on the US Billboard charts, an anthem for the antiwar movement and a cultural milestone that continues to resound a generation later in movie soundtracks and hip hop music
Hip hop music

Hip hop music is a music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rapping which is accompanied with backing beats. Hip hop music is part of hip hop culture, which began in the Bronx, in New York City in the 1970s, predominantly among African Americans and Latino Americans....
 samples. "War" appeared on both Starr's War and Peace LP and its follow-up, Involved. Involved also featured another song of very similar construction titled "Stop the War Now", which was a minor hit in its own right.

Moving to England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 in 1973, Starr continued to record music into the 1970s, most notably recording the song "Hell Up In Harlem" for the 1974 film
Film

Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the film industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects....
, Hell Up in Harlem
Hell Up in Harlem

Hell Up in Harlem is a 1973 in film blaxploitation film, starring Fred Williamson and Gloria Hendry. The film was screenwriter and film director by Larry Cohen....
, which was the sequel to Black Caesar
Black Caesar (film)

Black Caesar is a 1973 in film blaxploitation film, starring Fred Williamson and Gloria Hendry. The film was screenwriter and film director by Larry Cohen....
, an earlier hit with a soundtrack by James Brown. In 1979, Starr reappeared on the charts with a pair ofdisco
Disco

Disco is a genre of dance music that originated in and was initially popular among African American, gay and Hispanic and Latino Americans communities in the United States in the late 1960s....
 hits, titled "(Eye-To-Eye) Contact" and "H.A.P.P.Y. Radio". "(Eye-To-Eye) Contact" was the more successful of the two, peaking at #65 on the U.S. pop charts, #1 on the U.S. dance charts, and #6 on the UK pop charts. By now he had joined the well-established disco boom, and had further singles out on the record label 20th Century Records
20th Century Records

20th Century Records, also known as 20th Fox Records and 20th Century-Fox Records, began in 1958 was a subsidiary of film studio 20th Century Fox....
. Over the years he released tracks on many labels including Avatar, Calibre, 10 Records, Motown (a return to his former label for a 1989 remix
Remix

A remix is an alternative version of a song, different from the original version. A remixer uses Audio mixing to compose an alternate master recording of a song, adding or subtracting elements, or simply changing the equalization, dynamics, Pitch , tempo, playing time, or almost any other aspect of th...
 of "25 Miles"), Streetwave and Hippodrome.

In 1985, Starr released "It Ain't Fair". Despite garnering the attention of many in the soul and dance clubs, it fell short of becoming a hit. In 1988, Starr teamed up with the popular and successful Stock, Aitken and Waterman production company for the club hit "Whatever Makes Our Love Grow". In 1989, a number 17 UK hit by the Cookie Crew
Cookie Crew

Cookie Crew were a Hip hop music duet formed in Clapham, South London in 1983....
 called "Got to Keep On" sampled a portion of "25 Miles". This track was then featured on a 1990 dance medley
Medley (music)

In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumental....
 made for the BRIT Awards
Brit Awards

The BRIT Awards, often simply called The BRITs, are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of British or Britannia, but has subsequently become a "backronym" for British Record Industry Trust....
 which made number 2 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being printed in Music Week magazine , ChartsPlus , and published online on various sites ....
 . A club mix of various artists, it included the previous years remix of "25 Miles". Starr also appeared on the charity number one single "Let It Be" by Ferry Aid
Ferry Aid

Ferry Aid was a ensemble group, brought together to record the song "Let it Be " in 1987. The single was released following the Zeebrugge Disaster, which had occurred on 6 March 1987 involving the capsizing of the MS Herald of Free Enterprise ferry, which killed 193 passengers and crew....
, again a various artist project.

In 1989, Starr also joined Ian Levine
Ian Levine

Ian Levine is an England songwriter, Record producer, and Disc jockey. He is also a well-known fan of the long-running television show Doctor Who....
's mammoth project Motorcity Records
Motorcity Records

Motorcity Records is a United Kingdom record label formed by producer Ian Levine in 1989. The label aimed to record new material with former Motown artists....
, releasing six singles and the album Where Is the Sound, as well as co-writing several songs for other artists on the label. Starr resurfaced briefly in 2000, to team up with the UK
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 band
Band (music)

In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform songs. The following articles concern types of musical bands:...
  Utah Saints
Utah Saints

Utah Saints are a Dance music band based in Leeds, England. The music is record producer by Jez Willis and Tim Garbutt, who are joined on-stage by other musicians whenever the band plays live....
 to record
Sound recording and reproduction

Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical or mechanics inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects....
 a new version of his song "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On". He appeared again in 2002 to record a song
Song

A song is a musical musical composition which contains vocal parts that are performed, 'sung,' and feature words , commonly accompanied by musical instruments ....
 with the British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 musician
Musician

A musician is a person who plays or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument....
 Jools Holland
Jools Holland

Julian Miles "Jools" Holland Order of the British Empire, Deputy Lieutenant is an England pianist, bandleader and television presenter. His work has involved him with many of the biggest names in the contemporary rock and popular music industry, such as Sting, David Gilmour, Tom Jones and Bono....
, singing "Snowflake Boogie" on Holland's compact disc
Compact Disc

A Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store Data , originally developed for storing digital audio. The CD, available on the market since October 1982, remains the standard physical medium for sale of commercial Sound recording and reproduction to the present day....
 More Friends; and to record another track with Utah Saints, a so far unreleased version of his number one hit "War" - his last ever recording.

Starr remained a hero on England's Northern Soul
Northern soul

Northern soul is a type of mid-tempo and uptempo heavy-beat soul music that was popularized in Northern England from the mid 1960s onwards. The term also refers to the associated dance styles and fashions that emanated from the Twisted Wheel club in Manchester and spread to other dancehalls and nightclubs, such as the Golden Torch , the High...
 circuit and continued living in England for the remainder of his life.

Death

Edwin Starr died at the age of 61 in his home in Bramcote
Bramcote

Bramcote is a settlement in the Broxtowe district of Nottinghamshire, about five miles south-west of Nottingham. It was a separate village but is now a suburb of Greater Nottingham....
 near Nottingham
Nottingham

Nottingham is one of the three major city status in the United Kingdom in the East Midlands and is in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England....
. His brother Angelo Starr is now fronting The Team, the band that Edwin Starr toured with until his death.

Discography


  • "Agent Double-O-Soul" (1965) (#21 US)
  • "Back Street" (1966) (#95 US)
  • "Headline News" (1966) (#84 US) (#39 UK)
  • "I'll Love You Forever" (1966)-Performed w/The Holidays
  • "Lonely Summer" (1966) (written by Starr & performed by The Shades Of Blue
    The Shades of Blue

    The Shades Of Blue was a blue-eyed soul vocal group from Livonia, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. Their biggest hit single was their 1966 song "Oh How Happy", songwriter by Edwin Starr, which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 record chart, #7 of the R&B charts and made the Top 40 in Canada....
    )
  • "S.O.S. (Stop Her On Sight)" (1966) (#48 US) (#11 UK)
  • "I Want My Baby Back" as a point of interest this song was released a year earlier on Stevie Wonder's "Uptight" album where the credited composer was Harvey Fuqua. On Edwin Starr's version the song is credited to Norman Whifield, Eddie Kendricks and Cornelius Grant(1967)
  • "Grits Ain't Grocery" (1968)
  • "Twenty-Five Miles" (1969) (#6 US) (#36 UK)
  • "Oh How Happy" (1969) (#92 US)
  • "I'm Still a Struggling Man" (1969) (#80 US)
  • "Way Over There" (1969)
  • "I Just Wanna Do My Thing" (1970)
  • "Time" (1970)
  • "War" (1970) (#1 US) (#3 UK)
  • "Stop the War Now" (1970) (#26 US) (#33 UK)
  • "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On" (1971)
  • "My Sweet Lord" (1971)
  • "There You Go" (1973) (#80 US)
  • "Big Papa" (1974)
  • "Easin' In (Hell Up In Harlem Soundtrack/American Pimp Soundtrack) (1974/1999)
  • "Hell Up In Harlem" (1974)
  • "Contact" (1979) (#65 US) (#6 UK)
  • "H.A.P.P.Y. Radio" (1979) (#79 US) (#9 UK)
  • "Tell-A-Starr" (1979)
  • "It's Called The Rock" (1979)
  • "Twenty-Five Miles (Mix)" (1980)
  • "Get Up-Whirlpool" (1980)
  • "Stronger (Than You Think I Am)" (1980)
  • "Smooth" (1983) (#90 UK)
  • "I Wanna Take You Home" (1983)
  • "Marvin" (1984) (#89 UK)
  • "It Ain't Fair" (1985) (#56 UK)
  • "Missiles" (1985)
  • "Grapevine" (1985) (#83 UK)
  • "Soul Singer" (1986)
  • "Whatever Makes Our Love Grow" (1988) (#98 UK)
  • "Got To Keep On" (1989) (#17) (w/Cookie Crew)
  • "Twenty-Five Miles (Remix)" (1989) (#82 UK)
  • "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On" (w/Utah Saints) (2000) (#23 UK)
  • "Snowflake Boogie" (w/Jools Holland) (2002)
  • "War" (w/Utah Saints) (2002)
  • "Twenty-Five Miles" (w/Three Amigos) (2001) (#30 UK)


See also

  • List of number-one hits (United States)
    List of number-one hits (United States)

    Pre-Hot 100 era Number-one hits of 1940 Number-one hits of 1941 Number-one hits of 1942 Number-one hits of 1943 Number-one hits of 1944 Number-one hits of 1945 ...
  • List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
    List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)

    This is a list of recording artists who have reached number one on Billboard magazine's weekly pop singles chart.This list spans from the issue dated January 1, 1955 to the present....
  • List of number-one dance hits (United States)
    List of number-one dance hits (United States)

    This is a list of number-one dance hits as recorded by Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Club Play chart — a weekly national survey of popular songs in United States dance clubs....
  • List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
    List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

    This is a list of recording artists who have reached number one on Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Club Play chart. Billboard began ranking dance music on the week ending October 26 1974 and this is the standard music popularity chart in the United States for play in nightclubs....


Footnotes


External links

  • at Allmusic