Gene Chandler
Gene Chandler was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States on July 6th, 1937 and is the R&B Singer. At the age of 86, Gene Chandler biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
At 86 years old, Gene Chandler physical status not available right now. We will update Gene Chandler's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.
Gene Chandler (born Eugene Drake Dixon and dubbed "The Duke of Earl" or simply "The Duke"; July 6, 1937) is an American singer, songwriter, music producer, and record label executive.
He is best known for his hits "Duke of Earl" and "Groovy Situation" as well as his friendship with The Dukays, the Impressions, and Curtis Mayfield. Chandler is a inductee into the National Association of Television and Radio Announcers (NATRA) "Producer of the Year" Award and the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award.
He is also one of only a few musicians to break into charts from the doom, rhythm and blues, soul, and disco musical eras, with some Top 40 pop and R&B chart hits between 1961 and 1986.
On August 24, 2014, Chandler was inducted as a performer into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame.
After being inducted into the R&B Hall of Fame as an R&B Music Pioneer in 2016, he became a "Double Inductee" into the R&B Hall of Fame in 2016.
Early years
Eugene Drake Dixon Dixon was born in Chicago on July 6, 1937. On the city's South Side, he attended Englewood High School. Chandler appeared with the Gaytones in the early 1950s. In 1957, he joined the Dukays alongside James Lowe, Shirley Jones, Earl Edwards, and Ben Broyles, becoming their lead singer. Chandler retired to Chicago in 1960 and rejoined the Dukays after being drafted into the US Army.
Career
In 1961, the Dukays were offered a recording deal with Nat Records and the song "The Girl Is a Demo" (1961), a single, with singer Carl Davis and Bill "Bunky" Sheppard. A session in August 1961 saw the recording of "Nite Owl" and "Duke of Earl" follow. "Nite Owl" was released by Nat Records, and it became a R&B hit by the end of the year. Davis and Sheppard sold "Duke of Earl" to Vee-Jay Records, which was first introduced by Dixon in 1962 (known as Gene Chandler).
The RIAA gave "Duke of Earl" a one million copies in less than a month and was given a gold disc. Chandler bought a cape, monocle, cane, and top hat, revealing himself as Duke of Earl after the song spent three weeks on Billboard's top ten. In Don't Knock the Twist, a 1962 film starring Chubby Checker, he appeared in costume as "Duke of Earl." Chandler's shows became well-known, and he performed encores, notably "Rainbow," a Curtis Mayfield song.
Chandler joined Vee-Jay in 1963 and worked for Constellation Records, another Chicago firm. After Constellation went bankrupt in 1966, he was contracted to Chess and later Brunswick Records; for a time, Chess and Brunswick were in agreement with Brunswick in publishing Chandler's recordings. With "Just Be True" (1964) and "Nothing Can Stop Me" (1965), Curtis Mayfield and Carl Davis wrote both hit the top-20 hits with Constellation (1964).
"What Now," "I Fooled You This Time," "A Man's Temptation," "To Be a Lover," "To Be A Lover" (recorded live at Chicago's Regal Theater), "You Can't Hurt Me No More" and "You Can't Hurt Me No More" were among the other winners. Chandler's cover version of James Brown's "There Was a Time" and "You Threw a Lucky Punch" was also a hit on Mary Wells' Motown's "You Beat Me to the Punch" was also a hit.
Chandler wanted to become more involved in music after several years of performing shows. He founded Bamboo and Mister Chand, a production firm and two record labels. Chandler's "Groovy Situation" was a hit on Mercury Records in 1970, and his second-highest success after "Duke of Earl" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 and number eight on the Billboard R&B charts. The RIAA's "Groovy Situation" sold over a million copies and was awarded gold by the RIAA in November of that year.
Chandler's "Backfield In Motion" was released in 1969 by Mel and Tim on Bamboo Records, which ranked third on the R&B chart and in the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. The duo's "Good Guys Only Win in the Movies" appeared on R&B chart and at number 17 on the R&B chart and number 45 on the pop-music chart, while his predecessor "Good Guys Only Win in the Movies" followed him in 1970; the album debuted at number 17 on the R&B chart and number 45 on the pop-music chart.
Chandler and Jerry Butler, a Chicago artist, recorded the album Gene and Jerry: One on One later this year. Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions have performed on the live album, Curtis in Chicago (1973). With Eric Clapton, Chandler sang on Arthur Louis's album, Knocking on Heaven's Door (1974). Curtom Records, a Mayfield-founded label, has released four self-produced singles; none charted.
During the late 1970s, Chandler was a hit with disco-style music, as well as "Does She Have a Friend" (1978). Johnny Nash, the naming vice president of Davis' Chi-Sound Records, worked with reggae singer Johnny Nash. A late-1970s passion for older musicians led disc jockey Wolfman Jack to organize a tour, which included vintage acts such as Chandler.
Cypress Hill's "Hand on the Pump" from their album, Cypress Hill (1991), was sampled by "Duke of Earl," and Chandler's "Hallelujah, I Love Her So" was included on their album Black Sunday (1993). He received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1997.
"Duke of Earl" appeared on Hairspray's soundtrack in 1988, and Anchorman: Music From the Motion Picture (2004). "Duke of Earl" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame selected "Duke of Earl" as one of its "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" in its "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" collection. Chandler was honoured in Chicago in 2016 for his contributions to the city and its residents, as well as his civic and philanthropic efforts.