JOHNNY ADAMS
Johnny Adams had a multi-octave range and swooping vocal mannerisms that earned him the nickname “The Tan Canary.”
Lathan John Adams, Jr., was born in New Orleans on January 5, 1932, the oldest of ten children. He began his musical career singing gospel with two different groups, the Soul Revivers and Bessie Griffin’s Consolators. At the urging of his neighbor, songwriter Dorothy LaBostrie, he switched to secular music in 1959, recording LaBostrie’s “I Won’t Cry” for Joe Ruffino’s Ric label. The session was produced by 17-year-old Mac Rebennack (later known as Dr. John). The song became a local hit and would break nationally when Adams recut it in 1970.
The success of "I Won't Cry" allowed Adams to play gigs outside of New Orleans. Ric put out several additional singles on him over the next three years, most of them also local hits and produced either by Rebennack or Eddie Bo. In 1962, Adams made the national Rhythm & Blues chart for the first time with another Rebennack production, “A Losing Battle.”
After the 1963 death of Joe Ruffino, Adams’ contract was picked up by the Watch label. He subsequently recorded for regional outfits like Pacemaker, but his records did very little. In 1968, Adams signed with Shelby Singleton’s SSS International in Nashville. His first release for Singleton was a reissue of one of Adams’ Watch recordings. “Release Me” had been a hit three times before: in the country market for Ray Price (1954), in the R&B market for Esther Phillips (1962), and in the pop market for Engelbert Humperdinck (1967). Adams’ falsetto-laden performance became his second charted single, reaching #34 R&B and #82 pop.
His next release, produced by Singleton, became his biggest. A country-soul ballad that allowed Adams to show off his vocal gymnastics, “Reconsider Me” hit #8 on the Soul chart and crossed over to the pop market at #28. It also ensured Adams’ place in The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders (Wayne Jancik, 1998).
Adams left SSS International in 1971 and again recorded for a series of new labels, including Atlantic and Ariola. It was on the latter that Adams made the Soul chart for the last time, with 1978’s “After the Good Is Gone.” He also started performing regularly at Dorothy’s Medallion Lounge in New Orleans and touring the southern nightclub circuit.
In 1983, Adams signed with Rounder, a Boston-based label known for its eclectic artist roster. There, he recorded a series of critically acclaimed albums, starting with 1984’s From the Heart. His Rounder recordings featured a range of styles and earned Adams a number of accolades, including the W.C. Handy Award. He also moved from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and frequently toured Europe with artists like Aaron Neville, Harry Connick, Jr., Lonnie Smith, and Dr. John.
Johnny Adams, 66, died of prostate cancer on September 14, 1998.
Charted singles:
“A Losing Battle” (1962) R&B #27
“Release Me” (1968) R&B #34, Pop #82
“Reconsider Me” (1969) R&B #8, Pop #28
“I Can’t Be All Bad” (1969) R&B #45, Pop #89
“Proud Woman” (1970) Pop #121
“I Won’t Cry” (Re-recording, 1970) R&B #41
“After the Good Is Gone” (1978) R&B #75
