Joe Dowell (January 23, 1940 – February 4, 2016)[1] was an American pop singer.
He first performed at a ninth-grade talent show and later attended the University of Illinois.
At his first recording session (backed by organist Ray Stevens), he sang the tune "Wooden Heart", which had been a hit for Elvis Presley in Europe but which was never released as a single stateside.
[3] In the wake of his success, Dowell wanted to become a songwriter in his own right, but, due to contractual obligations, he was required to sing music owned by Smash's parent company, Mercury Records.
His publicist and friend Johnny Vallis confirmed to the Associated Press, that Joe Dowell died on February 4, 2016, in Bloomington, Illinois, after suffering a heart attack the prior weekend.