The National R&B Music Society facebook/pages/The-National-RB-Music-Society-Inc/459607965482 official website rnbmusicsociety Remembering one of the greats... Singer, Songwriter & Producer Eugene Records of the legendary vocal group The Chi-Lites. Eugene Booker Record (December 23, 1940 – July 22, 2005) was the American lead vocalist of the Chicago, Illinois based vocal group, The Chi-Lites, during the 1960s and 1970s. The group formed in the late 1950s when the Chanteurs (Record, Robert Squirrel Lester, and Clarence Johnson) teamed up with Marshall Thompson and Creadel Red Jones of the Desideros to form the Hi-lites. Noting that the name Hi-lites was already in use, and wishing to add a tribute to their home town of Chicago, they changed their name to Marshall and the Chi-Lites in 1964. Johnson left later that year, and their name was subsequently shortened to The Chi-Lites. Eugene Record was the groups primary songwriter, though he frequently collaborated with others, such as Barbara Acklin. Their major hits came in 1971 and 1972, Have You Seen Her and Oh Girl, they later became a #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 on 27 May 1972. Other transatlantic chart hits followed, although the output became more fragmented as the groups personnel came and went. Bass singer Jones left in 1973, and was replaced in quick succession by Stanley Anderson, Willie Kensey, and then Doc Roberson. Shortly thereafter, Eugene Record left, and David Scott and Danny Johnson entered. More personnel changes ensued, when Johnson was replaced by Vandy Hampton in 1977. The Chi-lites cut some tracks for the Inphasion label in 1979, that appeared on an obscure album for the Excello label. In 1980, the mid-1960s quartet of Record, Thompson, Jones, and Lester re-formed the Chi-lites. Creadel Jones left for a second time in 1982, and the group would remain a trio. Record left again in 1988, and new lead Frank Reed joined to replace him. Singer Anthony Watson replaced Reed later that year and the duty of lead vocals would alternate between Reed and Watson over the course of the next decade. (Lester took over singing lead on Oh Girl, while Watson led on their other songs). Eugene was born in Chicago. He also released three solo albums (entitled The Eugene Record, Trying to Get to You, and Welcome to My Fantasy) via the Warner Music Group before rejoining the Chi-Lites in 1980. In 1979, he had a disco hit called Magnetism. He also wrote and produced many of the groups hits, such as Have You Seen Her and Oh Girl, frequently in collaboration with other songwriters such as Barbara Acklin. He also wrote and produced for other artists, including Acklin, Jackie Wilson, and The Dells. Record left the Chi-Lites again in 1988 before eventually becoming a gospel singer. In 1978 he appeared on Saturday Night Live with Michael Palin. He performed Have You Seen Her and Trying to Get to You. He died on July 22, 2005, in Chicago, after a long battle with cancer.He was 64. The group was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 2000 and Record made an appearance with the group on stage to perform and accept the award.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 19:27:37 +0000
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