Earl Nelson

Half of the celebrated R&B duo Bob & Earl, singer Earl Nelson also enjoyed a solo career under the alias Jackie Lee, recording a series of singles that subsequently emerged as Northern soul classics. Born in Lake Charles, LA, on September 8, 1928, Nelson cut his teeth singing in his church's gospel choir. His family relocated to Los Angeles in 1937, and at age 17 he enlisted in the U.S. Army, working on the construction of the Panama Canal. Upon returning to civilian life he began singing with a variety of Los Angeles-area doo wop and R&B acts, usually in collaboration with vocalist Bobby Byrd (aka Bobby Day). Nelson's lead tenor graces the Hollywood Flames' 1954 single "Buzz Buzz Buzz," and a year later he and Byrd teamed as the Voices to record "Two Things I Love" for the Cash label. A series of little-noticed efforts followed, credited to various acts including Bobby "Baby Face" Byrd & the Birds as well as Bobby Day & the Satellites, and in 1957 perennial second-banana Nelson even headlined the Class label release "I Bow to You." The first Bob & Earl single, "You Made a Boo-Boo," appeared later that same year. Both Nelson and Day were nevertheless working at the Revell Toy Factory when the long-dormant "Buzz Buzz Buzz" emerged as a surprise hit in 1958. While a reassembled Hollywood Flames went on to record a clutch of new material for Class and Ebb, Day also scored a massive solo hit with "Rockin' Robin," and when the Flames sputtered out in the wake of 1960's "Gee Whiz," Nelson revived the Bob & Earl partnership, albeit recruiting former Laurels vocalist Bob Relf to replace the otherwise occupied Day. This incarnation of Bob & Earl first recorded in 1962, cutting a pair of singles ("Don't Ever Leave Me" and "Deep Down Inside") for the Tempe label. After a move to...