In his late teens, while working in a chemical factory, he began singing in nightclubs in Richmond, and was given his stage name by a compere who struggled to announce his real name.
[1][5] Later recordings for 20th Century Fox, to which he was signed by Hosea Wilson,[4] failed to chart, but he released a self-titled LP on the label in 1968, also produced by Mason.
25) with his version of "At Last", arranged and produced by Willie Hoskins and previously a hit for Etta James.
He has continued to release albums on Gunsmoke, including Operator Please Put Me Through (1993), It Just Don't Feel the Same (1997), Versatility (1998), It's Not So Bad After All (2006), Get in Touch with Me (2009), Do Not Disturb (2012), and I Lost My Baby on Facebook (2014).
[2][1] He is sometimes confused with the Philadelphia songwriter and record producer Jesse James, who wrote "Boogaloo Down Broadway" for the Fantastic Johnny C and "The Horse" for Cliff Nobles.