Roy-C

Roy Hammond, from Long Beach, Long Island, sang lead for the Genies, who hit lightly with "Who's That Knocking" in 1958 (number 72 pop); three more Genies singles and the group disbanded, but Roy was just getting started. He went on to cut an additional single as Roy Hammond & the Genies ("Mama Blow Your Top" on Forum Records), then 32 solo shots as Roy-C and one as Little Frankie on labels including Smash, Black Hawk, Shout, Alaga, Mercury, and 3 Gems. He also has accumulated a legacy of 13 albums, plus a compilation on Sequel. What's so amazing about his output is that from 1958 to 1998, the year of his last-known album, he's only hit the chart twice: the lowly Genies hit and "Shotgun Wedding" in 1965 on Black Hawk (the latter nested at number 14 R&B). No other Roy-C recording ever made a national chart. His first album was That Shotgun Wedding Man (1966) on Ember Records. The Mercury albums are Sex & Soul (1973), Something Nice (1975), and More Sex & More Soul (1977). The first 3 Gems LP, I Want to Be Where You Are (All Night Long), surfaced in 1984 and the last, Stella Lost Her Groove Again, in 1998. Roy composed most of his recordings and has more than 125 titles to his credit. He recorded an album by ex-Temptation Dennis Edwards entitled Talk to Me, and also worked on a CD on Bobby Stringer. Shaggy sampled his "Love Me, Love Me" on the soundtrack of Stella Got Her Groove Back. ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide