Donnie Elbert: Difference between revisions

| caption name = Donnie Elbert

| background caption = solo_singer

| aliasbirth_name = Donnie = Elbert

| birth_datealias =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1936|05|25|mf=y}}<br>[[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], [[United States]]U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1989|01|26|1936|05|25}}<br>
| death_place = [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], U.S.

| origin =

| instrument = [[Human voice|Vocals]], [[multi-instrumentalist]]

| genre = [[Soul music|Soul]], [[Rhythm and Blues|R&B]], [[disco]]

| occupation = [[Singing|Singer]], [[songwriter]]

| years_active = 1955&ndash;late 1970s

| label = Numerous

| associated_acts =

| website =

'''Donnie Elbert''' (May 25, 1936 &ndash; January 26, 1989) was an [[United States|American]] [[soul music|soul]] [[singing|singer]] and songwriter, who had a prolific career from the mid-1950s to the late 1970s. His USU.S. hits included "[[Where Did Our Love Go|Where Did Our Love Go?]]" (19721971), and his reputation as a [[Northern soul]] artist in the UK was secured by "A Little Piece of Leather", a performance highlighting his powerful [[falsetto]] [[human voice|voice]].

Elbert was born in [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], but when aged three his family relocated to [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]], [[New York (state)|New York]]. He learned to play [[guitar]] and [[piano]] as a child, and in 1955 formed a [[doo-wop]] group, the Vibraharps, with friend Danny Cannon. Elbert acted as the group's [[guitarist]], [[songwriter]], [[arrangement|arranger]], and [[backing vocalist|background vocalist]], making his [[sound recording and reproduction|recording]] debut on their [[single (music)|single]] "Walk Beside Me". He left the group in 1957 for a solo career, and recorded a [[demo (music)|demonstration record]] that earned him a [[recording contract]] with the [[King Records (USA)|King]] [[record label|label's]] DeLuxe subsidiary.<ref name="AMG">{{cite web |first= |last= |url={{AllmusicAllMusic|class=artist|id=p17271|pure_url=yes}} |title=Biography by Jason Ankeny |publisher=Allmusic.com |accessdate=1 January 2010}}</ref> His solo debut "What Can I Do?" reached #12 in the [[United States|U.S.]] [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B]] [[record chart|chart]],<ref name="whitburnr&b">{{cite book |title= Top R&B Singles: 1942-1995 |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=1996 |publisher=Record Research Inc. |location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin |isbn= 0-89820-115-2| |page=[https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstopr00whit/page/n155 132] |url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstopr00whit |url-access=registration }}</ref> and he followed it up with the less successful "Believe It or Not" and "Have I Sinned?", which became a regional hit in [[Pittsburgh]].<ref name="AMG"/>

He continued to release singles on DeLuxe, but with little commercial success, and also played [[New York City|New York]]'s [[Apollo Theater]] and [[concert tour|toured]] the [[chitlinChitlin' circuitCircuit]] of [[African-American]] owned [[nightclub]]s. After completing an [[album]], ''The Sensational Donnie Elbert Sings'', he left DeLuxe in 1959, joining first Red Top Records, where in 1960 he recorded "Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)", and then [[Vee-Jay Records]], where he had another regional hit with "Will You Ever Be Mine?,", which reportedly sold 250,000 copies in the Philadelphia area but failed to take off nationwide.<ref name="AMG"/> His career was also interrupted by a spell in the [[US Army]], from which he was discharged in 1961.<ref name="oldies">{{cite web|url=http://www.oldies.com/artist-biography/Donnie-Elbert.html |title=Donnie Elbert Biography |publisher=OLDIES.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-13}}</ref> He then recorded singles for several labels, including [[Parkway Records|Parkway]], [[Cub Records|Cub]] and [[Checker Records|Checker]], but with little success. However, although the 1965 [[Gateway Records|Gateway]] label release of "A Little Piece of Leather" failed to chart in the US, the record became a #27 pop hit when released on the London label in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] several years later in 1972, and remains a [[Northern soul]] favorite.<ref name="AMG"/>

Elbert relocated to the UK in 1966, where he married.<ref name="oldies"/> There, he recorded "In Between The Heartaches" for the Polydor label in 1968, a [[cover version]] of [[the Supremes]]' [[hit record|hit]] "[[Where Did Our Love Go|Where Did Our Love Go?]]". and an album of [[Otis Redding]] cover versions, ''Tribute To A King''.<ref name="oldies"/> His 1969 [[Deram Records|Deram]] release "Without You" had a [[rocksteady]] [[rhythm]], and went to the top of the [[Jamaica]]n charts.

He returned to the US the same year and had his first US chart hit in over a decade with the Rare Bullet release, "Can't Get Over Losing You,", which reached #26 on the [[Billboard R&B chart]]. The track and its b-side, "Got To Get Myself Together", both written by Elbert, were released several times on different labels in subsequent years. After the success of that record, Elbert moved labels for a re-make of the Supremes' 1964 hit, "Where Did Our Love Go?" on [[All Platinum Records|All Platinum]]. It became his biggest hit, reaching #15 on the Billboard pop chart, #6 on the R&B chart, and (in 1972) #8 in the UK. Its follow-up, "Sweet Baby" reached #30 on the R&B chart in early 1972.

For 1975's "You Keep Me Crying (With Your Lying),", Elbert formed his own label and "I Got to Get Myself Together,", appeared on an imprint bearing his surname, but it was among his final recordings.<ref name="AMG"/>

By the mid-1980s, Elbert had retired from performing and became director of [[A&R]] for [[Polygram]]'s [[Canada|Canadian]] division. He suffered a massive [[stroke]] and died in 1989, at the age of 52.<ref name="AMG"/>

! colspan="35"| Chart Positions

! style="width:40px;"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US Pop]]<ref>{{cite book|first=Joel|last=Whitburn|year=2003|title=Top Pop Singles 1955-2002|edition= 1st|publisher=Record Research Inc.|location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin|isbn= 0-89820-155-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/220 220]|url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/220}}</ref>

! style="width:40px;"| [[UKARIA Singles ChartCharts|UKAUS]]<ref name="betts"aus>{{cite book| last=Kent|first= GrahamDavid| lastauthorlink=David Betts|Kent year=2004(historian)| title=Australian CompleteChart UKBook Hit Singles 1952-20041970–1992| edition= 1stillustrated|publisher=Australian Chart CollinsBook| location=St LondonIves, N.S.W.|year=1993| isbn= 0-00646-71793111917-6| page=251101}}</ref></small>

| style="text-align:left;"| "[[I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)]]"

| style="text-align:left;"| "This Feeling Ofof Losing You"

*''Tribute Toto Aa King'' (1968)

*''Dancin' Thethe Night Away'' (All Platinum, 1977)<ref name="Soul">{{cite web|url=http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Donnie%20Elbert.html |title=Donnie Elbert Page |publisher=Soulwalking.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2015-10-13}}</ref>

[[Category:Musicians from New Orleans, Louisiana]]

[[Category:PeopleMusicians from Buffalo, New York]]

[[Category:Songwriters from New York (state)]]