Post by Forever Motown on Jul 12, 2010 13:01:00 GMT -5
Obituary: Harvey Fuqua / Singer, Motown exec mentored Marvin GayeDied July 6, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
By Terence McArdle, The Washington Post
Chuck Burton/Associated Press
Harvey Fuqua
Harvey Fuqua, lead singer of the seminal 1950s doo-wop group the Moonglows, who mentored Marvin Gaye and became an executive at Motown Records, died July 6 at a Detroit hospital. The Associated Press reported his age as 80 and said he had had a heart attack.
The Moonglows, who were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, were one of the most popular vocal groups in the first wave of rock 'n' roll. Their hits, such as "Sincerely" (1954) and "See Saw" (1956), combined slick harmonies with what pop music critic Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times termed a "raw, teen-directed urgency."
Harvey Fuqua (pronounced FEW-kwah) was born in Louisville. His uncle, Charlie Fuqua, played guitar in the Ink Spots, one of the most popular vocal groups of the 1940s.
In high school, the younger Mr. Fuqua formed a vocal duo with classmate Bobby Lester.
After moving to Cleveland, he and Mr. Lester formed a vocal group, Crazy Sounds, with singers Prentiss Barnes and Alexander Graves and guitarist Billy Johnson.
Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed caught the act in 1952. Mr. Freed, who is often credited with coining the term rock 'n' roll, pushed the group to change its name to the Moonglows, a play on Mr. Freed's radio name, Moondog. He recorded the band for his label, Champagne, and a Chicago label, Chance, before getting the Moonglows a contract with the larger Chess records.
They also performed on Mr. Freed's touring rock 'n' roll revues and in the movies "Rock, Rock, Rock" (1956) and "Mister Rock and Roll" (1957).
Mr. Fuqua sang lead vocals on "Please Send Me Someone to Love" (1957) and on the group's biggest hit, "The Ten Commandments of Love" (1957).
The group disbanded and Mr. Fuqua hired a D.C. group, the Marquees, to perform as Harvey and the Moonglows. The group included a then-unknown Marvin Gaye.
By the 1960s, Mr. Fuqua focused more on promoting new talent. He moved to Detroit, where he met Motown Records owner Berry Gordy. With Mr. Gordy's backing, he and Mr. Gordy's sister, Gwen, started the Tri-Phi and Harvey record labels. Mr. Fuqua and Gwen Gordy were married. A complete list of survivors could not be determined.
The labels had initial success with the Spinners' "That's What Girls Are Made For" (1961). In 1963, Mr. Fuqua disbanded the labels and joined Motown as the head of its artist development department, bringing the labels' rosters and Mr. Gaye with him.
When Motown moved its operations to Los Angeles in the 1970s, Mr. Fuqua joined RCA and briefly reformed the Moonglows in 1972.
Read more: www.post-gazette.com/pg/10191/1071899-122.stm#ixzz0tUY9AECy
Saturday, July 10, 2010
By Terence McArdle, The Washington Post
Chuck Burton/Associated Press
Harvey Fuqua
Harvey Fuqua, lead singer of the seminal 1950s doo-wop group the Moonglows, who mentored Marvin Gaye and became an executive at Motown Records, died July 6 at a Detroit hospital. The Associated Press reported his age as 80 and said he had had a heart attack.
The Moonglows, who were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, were one of the most popular vocal groups in the first wave of rock 'n' roll. Their hits, such as "Sincerely" (1954) and "See Saw" (1956), combined slick harmonies with what pop music critic Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times termed a "raw, teen-directed urgency."
Harvey Fuqua (pronounced FEW-kwah) was born in Louisville. His uncle, Charlie Fuqua, played guitar in the Ink Spots, one of the most popular vocal groups of the 1940s.
In high school, the younger Mr. Fuqua formed a vocal duo with classmate Bobby Lester.
After moving to Cleveland, he and Mr. Lester formed a vocal group, Crazy Sounds, with singers Prentiss Barnes and Alexander Graves and guitarist Billy Johnson.
Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed caught the act in 1952. Mr. Freed, who is often credited with coining the term rock 'n' roll, pushed the group to change its name to the Moonglows, a play on Mr. Freed's radio name, Moondog. He recorded the band for his label, Champagne, and a Chicago label, Chance, before getting the Moonglows a contract with the larger Chess records.
They also performed on Mr. Freed's touring rock 'n' roll revues and in the movies "Rock, Rock, Rock" (1956) and "Mister Rock and Roll" (1957).
Mr. Fuqua sang lead vocals on "Please Send Me Someone to Love" (1957) and on the group's biggest hit, "The Ten Commandments of Love" (1957).
The group disbanded and Mr. Fuqua hired a D.C. group, the Marquees, to perform as Harvey and the Moonglows. The group included a then-unknown Marvin Gaye.
By the 1960s, Mr. Fuqua focused more on promoting new talent. He moved to Detroit, where he met Motown Records owner Berry Gordy. With Mr. Gordy's backing, he and Mr. Gordy's sister, Gwen, started the Tri-Phi and Harvey record labels. Mr. Fuqua and Gwen Gordy were married. A complete list of survivors could not be determined.
The labels had initial success with the Spinners' "That's What Girls Are Made For" (1961). In 1963, Mr. Fuqua disbanded the labels and joined Motown as the head of its artist development department, bringing the labels' rosters and Mr. Gaye with him.
When Motown moved its operations to Los Angeles in the 1970s, Mr. Fuqua joined RCA and briefly reformed the Moonglows in 1972.
Read more: www.post-gazette.com/pg/10191/1071899-122.stm#ixzz0tUY9AECy