Freddie Mack
Freddie Mack (15 September 1934[1] – 11 January 2009), sometimes also spelled Freddy Mack and also known as Mr. Superbad, was a retired light-heavyweight boxer who later enjoyed success in the UK as a singer and DJ.
Biography
He was born on a cotton plantation in Bennettsville, South Carolina, to father Fred Mack, black American foreman of the Carolina Breeding Estate and mother Florence Purvis, an Italian kitchen worker originally from Bracciano, just outside Rome, Italy.
A childhood friend of Floyd Patterson, who introduced him to boxing at Cus D'Amato's gym on 14th Street, Manhattan,[2] he accompanied Floyd, as an alternate, to the 1952 Helsinki Olympics in Finland where Patterson took the Gold medal for the United States.
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.[3]
After 66 professional fights he became a sparring partner for, among others, Henry Cooper, Billy Walker (The Blonde Bomber) and John "Cowboy" McCormack.
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 Harrison. Freddie enjoyed a short film career especially his part in Cleopatra where, as one of the black slaves, he carried Elizabeth Taylor into Rome.[4] He can also be found in small acting roles in the Invisible Man, Two Escapes from Singh Singh with Donald Pleasence, The Great Rock n Roll Swindle with the Sex Pistols and Scotland's very own Taggart.
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.
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 rhythm section with Alan Cartwright and B.J. Wilson.
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), Roger Truth (drums). Alan Cartwright (bass), Johnny Orlando (vocals), Eddie 'Tan Tan' Thomas (trumpet), Bobby Morris (keyboards), Tex Makin (bass), Bill Davidson (organ), Art Regis(Organ), Viv Prince (Drums), Derry Wilkie (vocals), Tony Gomez (keyboards), Tony Morgan (vocals), Kookie Etan (vocals), Bob Mundy (vocals), Steve Mustang Sallis (lead guitar), Brian Williams (bass), Jeff Bridge (Tenor saxophone), Phil Presland (Baritone saxophone) John Walsh (organ), Pat Green (drums) and Chris Burdett (Tenor Saxophone) among many others.
In 1969 he was arrested for being an illegal alien in the UK but managed to avoid deportation.
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 Plains, North Lanarkshire 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.
In 1981, his strong American voice featured on the Tight Fit megamix song Back To The Sixties. The track reached number 4 in the UK Charts. His words are at the start of the song and are "Wam Bam Alakazam, that's the sound, the super sound of the 60's, going back and checking it out, ready for some more? Hit that floor! The great days are back again!"
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 13 September 2008 in the Quality Inn, Glasgow Central Hotel.
Between 2002 and 2003 he presented the Superbad Saturday Night programme on Lanarkshire radio station Clan FM which was a mix of soul music and chat. Mack died on January 11, 2009.[1]
Discography
- The Fantastic Freddy Mack Show (live 1966) - (Rayrik TPLMP 142/143)
As Freddie Mack's Extravanganza In Sounds (Extravaganza is misspelt on 7" release):
- A: People - Part One; B: People - Part Two 1973
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
Professional boxing record
27 Wins (14 knockouts, 12 decisions, 1 DQ), 19 Losses (4 knockouts, 15 decisions), 3 Draws, 2 No Contests | |||||||
Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 24-6 | Jack Bodell | PTS | 8 | 7 Sep 1965 | Earls Court Arena, Kensington, London | Mathis knocked out at 2:58 of the second round. |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 40-5-1 | Chic Calderwood | KO | 8 | 3 Feb 1965 | Wolverhampton, West Midlands | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 16-4 | Jack Bodell | TKO | 5 | 29 Sep 1964 | Embassy Sportsdrome, Birmingham, West Midlands | Referee stopped the bout at 1:15 of the fifth round. |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 16-1-1 | Giuseppe Migliari | KO | 8 | 12 Sep 1964 | Rome | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 23-0-3 | Piero Del Papa | PTS | 10 | 24 May 1964 | Brescia, Lombardy | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 15-1 | Benito Penna | PTS | 10 | 6 May 1964 | PalaLido, Milan | Referee stopped the bout at 1:15 of the fifth round. |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 18-13-2 | Ray Shiel | TKO | 5 | 25 Mar 1964 | Midlands Sporting Club, Solihull, West Midlands | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 17-15-2 | Ron Gray | DQ | 2 | 3 Mar 1964 | Granby Halls, Leicester, Leicestershire | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 17-12-2 | Ray Shiel | PTS | 8 | 6 Feb 1964 | Tower Circus, Blackpool, Lancashire | |
Draw | 19-1-2 | Piero Tomasoni | PTS | 10 | 15 Nov 1963 | Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 11-7-1 | Joey Armstrong | TKO | 4 | 23 Oct 1963 | Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 6-2 | Joe Louis | KO | 1 | 25 Sep 1963 | Midlands Sporting Club, Solihull, West Midlands | Louis knocked out at 0:45 of the first round. |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 42-6-1 | Joe Erskine | PTS | 10 | 10 Aug 1963 | Newtown Pavilion, Newtown, Powys | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 13-4 | Sonny Banks | SD | 10 | 5 Jun 1963 | Graystone Ballroom, Detroit, Michigan | |
No Contest | 6-3 | Renato Moraes | NC | 7 | 18 Jan 1963 | Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome | |
Draw | 13-0-1 | Piero Tomasoni | PTS | 10 | 20 Sep 1962 | Brescia, Lombardy | |
No Contest | 6-5 | Georges Torrecillas | ND | 4 | 19 Aug 1962 | Casino Municipale, San Remo, Liguria | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 5-2 | Renato Moraes | KO | 7 | 13 Apr 1962 | Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 24-7 | Ottavio Panunzi | KO | 2 | 19 Jan 1962 | Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 29-10 | Jesse Bowdry | PTS | 10 | 24 Nov 1961 | Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 40-2-2 | Santo Amonti | TKO | 3 | 6 Oct 1961 | Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome | |
Draw | 5-7-1 | Chuck Garrett | PTS | 10 | 21 Aug 1961 | Vogue Arena, Chicago, Illinois | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 30-2-2 | Mauro Mina | PTS | 10 | 29 Jul 1961 | Estadio Nacional, Lima | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 29-2-2 | Mauro Mina | PTS | 10 | 12 Apr 1961 | Estadio Nacional, Lima | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 23-5 | Giulio Rinaldi | PTS | 10 | 24 Feb 1961 | Rome | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 14-6-1 | Lino Rendon | UD | 10 | 30 Jan 1961 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 8-1 | Wilfredo Avellez | TKO | 1 | 7 Jan 1961 | Madison Square Garden, New York City | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 19-7 | Young Beau Jack | KO | 6 | 8 Jul 1960 | Sydney, Nova Scotia | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 36-4-2 | Junius Washington | PTS | 6 | 10 Dec 1958 | Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 3-4 | Eddie Bramlett | PTS | 6 | 1 Dec 1958 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 76-19-2 | Yvon Durelle | PTS | 10 | 28 Aug 1958 | Moncton, New Brunswick | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 5-13-1 | Al Anderson | TKO | 4 | 5 May 1958 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 3-2 | Eddie Bramlett | PTS | 6 | 7 Apr 1958 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 0-1 | Louis "Baby" Jones | UD | 6 | 15 Mar 1958 | Boxing From Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 10-12-1 | Curtis Bruce | SD | 6 | 10 Feb 1958 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 5-3 | Floyd McCoy | PTS | 6 | 13 Jan 1958 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 22-5-1 | Jerry Luedee | TKO | 8 | 2 Sep 1957 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 9-2-1 | Dennis McCann | TKO | 5 | 23 Jul 1957 | Ansonia, Connecticut | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 4-1 | Floyd McCoy | PTS | 6 | 18 Jul 1957 | Sherbrooke, Quebec | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 2-0 | Wilson Hannibal | PTS | 6 | 24 Jun 1957 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 5-11-3 | Lou Perry | PTS | 6 | 13 May 1957 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 8-2-1 | Dennis McCann | PTS | 6 | 19 Apr 1957 | Hartford, Connecticut | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 3-0 | Rudy Williams | KO | 1 | 8 Nov 1956 | Sunnyside Gardens, Queens, New York City | |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 2-1 | Charley Black | PTS | 4 | 29 Sep 1955 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 9-1 | Angelo DeFendis | PTS | 6 | 28 Jun 1955 | Freeport Stadium, Freeport, New York | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 4-7 | Al Anderson | PTS | 6 | 14 Jun 1955 | Freeport Stadium, Freeport, New York | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 24-4-2 | Paul Pender | TKO | 4 | 6 Jan 1955 | Mechanics Hall, Boston, Massachusetts | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 2-2-2 | David Bondulich | TKO | 3 | 8 Nov 1954 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City | Referee stopped the bout at 2:05 of the third round. |
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win | 1-1 | Tommy Selkirk | PTS | 4 | 23 Aug 1954 | Boxing From Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 0-1-1 | Lou Perry | PTS | 4 | 16 Aug 1954 | Boxing From Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York | |
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss | 1-0 | Alan Watson | KO | 2 | 12 Aug 1954 | Eintracht Oval, Astoria, Queens, New York City |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mooney, Richard (2009-01-12). "Boxing, soul legend Freddie Mack dies aged 74". Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
- ↑ Mooney, Richard "Soul star Mr Superbad talks about his first love of boxing" Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser Retrieved on 2009-08-12
- ↑ Professional boxing record for Freddie Mack from Boxrec
- ↑ Obituary in The Herald