Freddie Mack
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Freddie Mack (sometimes also spelled Freddy Mack) and also known as "Mr Superbad", is a retired light-heavyweight boxer who later enjoyed success in the UK as a singer and DJ.
He was born on a cotton plantation in Bennettsville, South Carolina, 15 September 1934, to father Fred Mack, black American foreman of the Carolina Breeding Estate and mother Florence Purvis, an Italian kitchen worker originally from Bretcheano, just outside Rome, Italy.
Contents |
[edit] Boxing career
A childhood friend of Floyd Patterson, who introduced him to boxing and dragged him along to Cus D'Amato's gym on 14th Street, Manhattan, they both worked hard to become the outstanding fighters that resulted in him accompanying Floyd, as an alternate, to the 1952 Helsinki Olympics in Finland where Patterson took the Gold medal for the U.S.A.
As a light-heavyweight boxer, he reached 3rd place in the world ranking and is remembered for his knockouts against Sante Amonti, Jack Bodell, Chick Calderwood and Roman Morais, among others.
After 66 professional fights he decided that it was easier money to be a sparring partner to some of the world's greatest and he enjoyed a sparring career with particularly Henry Cooper, Billy Walker (The Blonde Bomber) and John "Cowboy" McCormack.
[edit] Film career
After living some time in Rome, he retired to England, c. 1965, where he was introduced to the movie scene by fight fans Sir Richard Burton and Rex Harris. Freddie enjoyed a short film career especially his part in Cleopatra where, as one of the black slaves, he carried Elizabeth Taylor into Rome. He can also be found in small acting roles in the "Invisible Man", "Two escapes from Singh Singh" with Donald Pleasance,"The Great Rock n Roll Swindle" with the Sex Pistols and Scotland's very own "Taggart"
[edit] Music career
Then he embarked on yet another initially successful career as a singer/entertainer backed by an ever-changing band of British jazz and R&B musicians. He was eventually arrested for being an illegal alien in 1969 but managed to avoid being deported.
His first "group" was an R&B show with singers, dancers and two bands. This settled down into one backing band, called "The Mack Sound" put together by baritone sax player Roger Warwick. The band featured four to five horns, including, for a time, Otis Redding's trombone player Clarence Johnson, and full rythmn section with Alan Cartwright and B.J.Wilson. Roger Warwick left during the cold winter of 1966 to set up an R&B band in sunny Italy for the Lebanese singer Patrick Samson, but that's another story.
From 1967 onwards his line-ups for the "Freddie Mack Sound", the "Fantastic Freddie Mack Show" or the "Freddie Mack Extravaganza" included variously: Mel Day (vocals), Ray Lewis (bass), Dave Roffey (lead guitar), Ged Peck (lead guitar), Rod Jones (bass), Dick Morrissey (tenor sax), B.J. Wilson (drums), Alan Cartwright (bass), Johnny Orlando (vocals), Eddie 'Tan Tan' Thomas (trumpet), Brian Morris (keyboards), Tex Makin (bass), Viv Prince (Drums), Derry Wilkie (vocals), Tony Gomez (keyboards), Tony Morgan (vocals) and Kookie Etan (vocals), among many others.
At the end of 1974 Mack signed to K-Tel Records as Mr Superbad and recorded many records under this label. He also sang on the 1975 hit "Kung Fu Man" on UltraFunk for Contempo Records.
He went to live in Glasgow in 1979 and spent the time from then till his retirement in 2005 working as a Radio DJ and doing gigs with his Disco Show. His sexy American voice and his love of Soul Music could be heard over the airwaves of Radio Clyde every saturday night for many years. He is a legend to all of us who are now of a slightly mature age.
In 2001 he founded The Scot's Boxing Hall of Fame of which he was named President and there have been three Induction Events with a fourth on 13th September 2008 in the Quality Inn, Glasgow Central Hotel.
Freddie Mack is also a family man who is extremely proud of his three children Sharon,Freddie(3rd) and Nicole.He also has three grandchildren, Lauren Elliot, Jamie and Wesley Gowenlock. He is happily living with his wife Jan McLaughlinMack in Plains in Airdrie.
[edit] Discography
- The Fantastic Freddy Mack Show (live 1966) - (Rayrik TPLMP 142/143)
As Mr Superbad:
- Superbad is Back 1973 (released only in America)
- Superbad 1974
- Souled Out 1975
- Soul Motion 1976
- Soul City 1977
- Superbad Returns 1981
