Young Jessie
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Young Jessie was born Obediah Donnell "Obie" Jessie on December 28, 1936, in Lincoln Manor, Dallas, Texas.
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[edit] Biography
Young Jessie is best known as the writer of his original "Mary Lou," later covered by Ronnie Hawkins in 1959, Bob Seger in 1976, and Gene Clark in 1977. He recorded with doo wop group The Flairs in the early 1950's and briefly recorded with The Coasters in 1957 (including "Searchin'" and "Young Blood"). He has also appeared on records by The Crescendos and Johnny Morisette, as well as being a writer for other artists' recordings, including The Chargers and Jimmy Norman. He made several solo singles in the 1950's and 1960's. He would later release a couple of jazz albums under the name Obie Jessie. He recorded some unreleased material for Jake Porter in the 1960's. He also did an album's worth of songs owned by Harvey Fuqua in 1970's that never got released. In 1972, he recorded a single as Obe Jessie & The Seeds Of Freedom for Stone Dogg Records. His younger brother DeWayne Jessie became an actor and became well known as Otis Day in the film National Lampoon's Animal House.
The B side offered with Mary Lou of You Were Meant For Me (Mercury #72146) (1963) is by far a superior recording vocally to anything Jessie had accomplished by that date as far as Northern Soul expectations are concerned. An erupting earth fissure of a vocal!
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
- I Smell A Rat/Lonesome Desert (Modern) (1/1954)
- Mary Lou/Don't Think I Will (Modern #961) (6/1955)
- Nothing Seems Right/Do You Love Me (Modern #963) (11/1955)
- Hot Dog (Modern) (unreleased) (1956) (recorded this before Elvis Presley)
- Hit Git And Split/It Don't Happen No More (Modern #1002) (9/1956)
- Oochie Coochie/Here Comes Henry (Modern #1010) (12/1956)
- Shuffle In The Gravel/Make Believe (Atco #6101, 1957)
- Shuffle In The Gravel/Make Believe (UK London HLE #8544, 1958)
- Margie/That’s Enough For Me (Atlantic #2003) (1958)
- Shuffle In The Gravel/Make Believe (Atco #6101) (1958)
- Lulu Belle/The Wrong Door (Capitol #4318) (1959)
- Teacher, Gimme Back/My Country Cousin (Mercury #71895) (1961)
- Be Bop Country Boy/Big Chief (Mercury #71985) (1962)
- I’m A Lovin’ Man/Too Fine For Cryin’ (Mercury #72104) (1963)
- Mary Lou/You Were Meant For Me (Mercury #72146) (1963)
- Make Me Feel A Little Good/Brown Eyes (Vanessa) (1963)
- Young Jessie’s Bossanova Part 1/Part 2 (Bit #7464) (1964)
- Who's The Blame/Beautiful Day My Brother (Stone Dogg #801) (1972) (released as Obe Jessie & The Seeds Of Freedom)
[edit] Albums
- Chuck Jackson And Young Jessie (Crown) (1963)
- R & B Jamboree (Ace) (1983)
- Hit Git And Split (Ace) (1985)
- Shuffle In The Gravel (Mr. R&B #1004) (1987) (released in Sweden)
- Shufflin And Jivin (Ace) (1987)
- I’m Gone (Ace) (1995)
- What Happened To Jr. (Solar #72597) (1995) (released as Obie Jessie)
- Here’s To Life (Jazz Family#101) (2002) (released as Obie Jessie)
[edit] Book references
- The Coasters (by Bill Millar) (Star Books) (1974)
- L. A. R&B Vocal Groups 1945-1965 (by Steve Propes and Galen Gart) (Big Nickel Publications) (2001)
- Let The Good Times Rock (by Bill Millar) (Music Mentor Books) (2004)
