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Claudja Barry (born 1952, Jamaica) is a singer and actress who has performed in the European versions of the stage musicals Hair and Catch My Soul.

Early music career[link]

Claudja Barry was aged six when her family emigrated to Canada where Barry grew up in Scarborough, Ontario. After graduation from high school, Barry left for New York City, where she eventually landed a role in the hit musical Hair, then Catch My Soul. The play toured Europe, where she eventually wound up in West Germany in the spring of 1975. In Germany, she met producer Frank Farian and became part of the studio group Boney M from 1975 to 1976, but left after tiring of simply lip-syncing to pre-recorded music.

After leaving Boney M, Barry had some success as a solo artist. She had two Billboard Hot 100 entries, the first being "Dancin' Fever" which peaked at #72, off The Girl Most Likely album, the other song being "Boogie Woogie Dancin' Shoes"^[1] (R&B #37, Pop #56 in 1979) from the album I Wanna Be Loved By You, released in 1978. Both became major mainstream pop hits in Canada (where "Dancin' Shoes" peaked at #7 on the RPM 100 national chart on April 7, 1979 and remained on the chart for 23 weeks)^[2] as well as in Europe. In 1976 the soulful ballad "Love for the Sake of Love" got airplay, and in 1979, another single, "Boogie Tonight" released off the I Wanna... album received Canadian airplay (sharing the charts with "Dancin' Shoes" and reaching #42 on June 23 of that year)^[3] and was also remixed into a 12" Disco Single.

The 1980s[link]

With the release of her Feel The Fire album in 1980, Claudja's songs were becoming highly synthesized - this was her final album to feature an earthier, more horn & string approach to the production of her music. In 1981, she made a successful foray into New Wave/Hi-NRG music with the album Made In Hong Kong. It featured the lead single "Radio Action", which became a moderate club hit peaking at #57.

In 1985, she appeared in the movie Rappin', starring Mario Van Peebles. The year 1985 also saw the release of the single, "Born To Love" which sounds similar to a Pet Shop Boys or Erasure song. This single was produced by New York City based Hi-NRG producer, singer and songwriter, Bobby Orlando. "Born To Love" features airy, ethereal synths and aggressive, syncopated synthesizers and a fierce lead guitar which made it a Top 20 smash, peaking at #14 on Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Dance format radio stations in the United States did not give it major exposure since the album it was lifted from was a UK-only release.

On the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, she has had much more success: six Top 10 hits, including "Down and Counting," which spent a week at #1 in 1986.^[4] At the time, the song also became only her third single to chart outside of the Dance charts in the U.S., peaking at a #98 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. Barry had further successes on that chart with the singles "Can't You Feel My Heartbeat" (#33 R&B) and "Secret Affair" (#60 R&B). "Down and Counting" was the lead single from her album, I, Claudja, her only full length record for Epic Records.

The 1990s[link]

After her run at Epic did not result in another album, she went more quiet, focusing her music career to her fans in Canada and abroad. She still remained active recording a pair of underground club classics during the early 1990s. The singles "Love Is An Island" (1991) and "Summer of Love" (1992) are highly regarded club hits to those who know them. In 1993, the German euro-dance project General Base featured Barry as lead singer for their single "Poison", which got a greater success. "Summer of Love" was successful enough that it maintains radio airplay on some radio stations such as WMPH. Both single became major hits outside of the U.S. After a Christmas/Holiday Dance album titled, Disco'round The Christmas Tree was released on Radikal Records in 1995, then an extended mix compilation titled, Disco Mixes, she went quiet for the remainder of the decade because she wanted to focus on raising a family.

1999 to present[link]

In 1999, R&B artist Montell Jordan sampled the rhythm track from Barry's single "Love For the Sake of Love," for the hit titled, "Get It On Tonite" (#4 on the Hot 100). Da Brat also released a less successful song with the same sample featuring Tyrese called "What'chu like." In May 2006, Barry returned to the Billboard charts with "I Will Stand" released on Donna Jean Records. By July the song had reached the Top 10 of the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, peaking at #4 before the end of the summer. It received moderate dance radio format airplay. Barry is working on her long awaited album.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Sweet Dynamite Lollipop 1976
• The Girl Most Likely Lollipop 1977
• Claudja Salsoul 1978
• I Wanna Be Loved By You Lollipop 1978
• Feel The Fire Hot Productions 1980
• Made In Hong Kong Hot Productions 1981
• If I Do It To You Ensign (UK)1985
• I, Claudja Epic Records 1987
• The Best of Claudja Barry Hot Productions 1991

See also[link]

• List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
• Bobby Orlando

References[link]

1. ^ Barnes, Ken (1979-06-17). "POP MUSIC - Los Angeles Times - ProQuest Archiver - Jun 17, 1979". http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/653232612.html?dids=653232612:653232612&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jun+17%2C+1979&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=POP+MUSIC&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2010-04-16. 
2. ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4520a&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=s607l5eet9b235712b5nmn4im6
3. ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4553a&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=s607l5eet9b235712b5nmn4im6
4. ^ Hunt, Dennis (1986-09-28). "TOPS IN POPS - Los Angeles Times - ProQuest Archiver - Sep 28, 1986". http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/1085731182.html?dids=1085731182:1085731182&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Sep+28%2C+1986&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=TOPS+IN+POPS&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2010-04-16. 

External links[link]

• Claudja's Official Website
• Canadianbands.com Biography

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Gary's Gang was an American funk/soul/R&B/disco group who just missed having a U.S. Top 40 hit, when their lone Billboard Hot 100 entry, "Keep on Dancin'", reached #41 in 1978. The song climbed to #8 in the UK Singles Chart,^[1] #14 on the Hot Soul Singles chart in 1978 and also made #1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, as did two of the group's other songs: "Do It At the Disco" and "Let's Lovedance Tonight". The latter was later used as the sampling background track to Soulsearcher's 1999 #20 Club Play hit, "Can't Get Enough".

In the 1980s Gary's Gang enjoyed further U.S. and European success with the 1982 single "Knock Me Out" (#45 UK) and the 1983 hit "Makin' Music", which reached #8 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.

The band[link]

Gary's Gang was the brainchild of Joseph Tucci and Gary Turnier who put the group together when they sold "Keep on Dancin" to Sam Records in Long Island City, states Gary Turnier (Gary's Gang). The song was written, produced and recorded in Tucci's Richmond Hill garage. All vocals were sung by Tucci, who also played all the instruments (except for the drums which were played by Gary Turnier). After Gary Turnier shopped the song to all major labels for several weeks, Sam Records picked up the record for release. Sam Weiss sold the record to Columbia Records a few months later.

The group, based in Queens, New York, consisted of Gary Turnier, Eric Matthew aka Joseph Tucci, Al Lauricella, Rino Minetti, Bill Catalano, Bob Forman and Jay Leon.

The song "Keep on Dancin'" was featured on "54, Volume I", the official album from the 1998 Miramax film 54.

Mr. Oizo's song "Patrick122" features a re-working of Gary's Gang's song "Do It At The Disco".

See also[link]

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

References[link]

External links[link]

• Gary's Gang discography
• Gary's Gang profile on Allmusic

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Viola Wills (December 30, 1939—May 6, 2009)^[1] was an American pop singer, best known for the 1979 UK Singles Chart #8^[2] and U.S. Hot Dance Club Play #52 ^[3] hit, "Gonna Get Along Without You Now". Other hits included further covers of the songs, "Both Sides Now" (#35 UK^[2]) (1986), and "If You Could Read My Mind" (#2 U.S. Hot Dance Club Play) (1980).

Early career[link]

Born Viola Mae Wilkerson in the Watts district of South Los Angeles, Wills was already married from her teens and was the mother of six children before the age of 21 when, in 1965, she was discovered by Barry White who signed her to Bronco Records and renamed her with the shorter stage surname of Wills.^[4] She started her career at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and, over the following years, in addition to working with White, also performed with Joe Cocker, Smokey Robinson and many other established recording artists of the era. It was while working in London as one of Cocker's backing vocalists (dubbed the "Sanctified Sisters") that she worked on and released her solo debut album of self-penned originals titled Soft Centers, backed by Cocker's session players.^[5]

Later career[link]

Wills' first major break into the mainstream came in 1979 with her cover version of "Gonna Get Along Without You Now" (the song's release date was May 14, 1979) which started a string of dance hits and Wills' subsequent title of a "disco diva".^[5] Determined to have a career writing and singing her own songs, Wills recorded and charted her first original hit "Dare To Dream", followed by her version of "Both Sides Now" in London. All three of the songs would land Wills in the Guinness Book of Records.^[5] In 1982 her cover of "Stormy Weather" hit #4 in the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart.^[3]

Eventually Wills took a break and returned to America to work on a college degree in music therapy. During this period she wrote and produced her one-woman show 'Willspower'.^[5] Also, by this time she had divorced her first husband and, around 1982, married Robert Ashmun with whom, in 1983, she formed the record label RVA (Robert Viola Ashmun) and used it to release a number of songs, including "Wall", "Space" and "If These Walls Could Speak".

A demand for 1980s music brought Wills back to Europe. With this new commitment she formed a new band and created her own unique style of music "Jazzspel", a mix of jazz and gospel.^[5] Most of the band members were graduates of Brighton University.^[5] Some of the UK venues Wills has appeared on, or at, were Top of The Pops (October 11, 1979), Pebble Mill, Soul Train (October 30, 1971 [Season 1, Episode 5] where she performed the song "Sweetback"), Later... with Jools Holland, Ronnie Scott's, Never Mind the Buzzcocks (February 17, 2003 [Season 12, Episode 7]) and a residency at Joogleberry Playhouse in Brighton.^[5]

Although Wills did not have a mainstream U.S. hit, she was popular among the nation's gay community and her singles are popular in dance clubs and a number of her recordings are found in various compilations, including "No News Is News", "A House Is Not a Home", "If You Could Read My Mind", "Up On The Roof", "Love Pains", "Let's Love Now", "Take One Step Forward" (by Wills and Noel McCalla), and "Always Something There to Remind Me".^[6] Her vocals also featured on My Friend Sam's 1992 house track "It's My Pleasure" which later appeared on the seminal Renaissance: The Mix Collection album.^[7]

Wills died of cancer on May 6, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona.^[8] Her funeral was held at the Macedonia Abbey Baptist Church in Los Angeles on May 15, 2009.^[5]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Viola Wills biography at Allmusic.com
• Viola Wills discography at Discogs.com
• Nascent fan page for Viola Wills
• Viola Wills at the Internet Movie Database

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (February 2009)

Nona Hendryx
Nona Hendryx performing at the Bowery Poetry Club as part of the Captain Beefheart tribute Best Batch Yet (7 June 2011)
Background information
Born	(1944-10-09) October 9, 1944 (age 67) Trenton, New Jersey, United States
Genres	R&B, soul, dance, funk, funk rock, art rock, hard rock, new age
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer, musical arranger,
Instruments	Vocalist Piano, Guitar
Years active	1961–present
Labels	ZE Records, Epic, Arista, RCA, Private Music, EMI,
Associated acts	Labelle, Material, The Talking Heads, Zero Cool, Mosaic, Daughters of Soul

Nona Hendryx (born October 9, 1944 in Trenton, New Jersey) is an American vocalist, producer, songwriter, musician, author, and actress.

Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady Marmalade." Her music has ranged from soul, funk, dance, and R&B to hard rock, art rock, and World music.