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 the Marc imprint, the duo entered the studio in 1963 alongside accompanist
Barry White to record "Harlem Shuffle," which
Nelson and
Relf co-wrote in emulation of singer
Round Robin's "Slauson Shuffletime" -- the gritty, sinuous track remains an R&B landmark, reaching the U.S. Top 50 and becoming an even bigger hit in the U.K. (In 1985,
the Rolling Stones scored an international smash with their inferior cover of the song.) Despite the success of "Harlem Shuffle,"
Bob & Earl's follow-up releases -- including "My Woman," "Your Lovin' Goes a Long, Long Way," and "Baby I'm Satisfied" -- fared poorly, and in 1965
Nelson launched a solo career with the Mira single "Ooh Honey Baby," credited to
Earl Cosby. His next effort, the Mirwood label release "The Duck," was instead attributed to
Jackie Lee -- the single cracked the R&B Top Five and hit the Top 20 on the pop charts as well, guaranteeing
Nelson would continue recording under this latest alias. While he did not return to the charts, Mirwood releases including "Do the Temptation Walk," "The Shotgun and the Duck," "Oh! My Darlin'," and "Darkest Days" all later made
Lee an immortal within the ranks of Britain's Northern soul revival culture. Singles for ABC-Paramount and Uni followed, and after reuniting with
White, who produced the 1974 Warner Bros. comeback attempt "Strange Funky Games and Things" (credited to
Jay Dee), his recording career ground to a halt.
Nelson nevertheless continued playing live across L.A. for decades to follow -- after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, he died July 12, 2008, at the age of 79.
–
Jason Ankeny, Rovi