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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Edwin Starr| image = EdwinStarr.jpg| caption =| image_size = | background = solo_singer| birth_name = Charles Edwin Hatcher| birth_date = birth date|1942|1|21|mf=y|birth_place = Nashville, Tennessee , United States| death_date = death date and age|2003|4|2|1942|1|21|mf=y|death_place = Bramcote , Nottinghamshire , England| origin = Detroit , Michigan , United States| genre = Soul music|Soul , disco , Rhythm and blues|R& B , psychedelic soul , funk | occupation = Singer songwriter| years_active = 1951& ndash;2003| label = Ric-Tic Motown Records|Motown 20th Century Records | associated_acts = The Future Tones, Blinky Williams| website = http://www.edwinstarr.info/index.html| Edwin Starr HomePage = http://www.edwinstarr.infoEdwin Starr (January 21, 1942 – April 2, 2003) was an Americans|American soul music singer . Starr is most famous for his Norman Whitfield record producer|produced single (music)|singles of the 1970s, most notably the record chart|number one hit " War (Edwin Starr song)|War ".
Biography
Starr was born Charles Edwin Hatcher in Nashville, Tennessee , in 1942. He and his cousins, soul singers Roger and Willie Hatcher, moved to Cleveland, Ohio , where they were raised.
In 1957, Starr formed a doo-wop group, The Future Tones, and began his singing career. Starr lived in Detroit , Michigan , in the 1960s and recorded at first for the small record label Ric-Tic, and later for Motown Records after the latter absorbed Ric-Tic in 1968.
The song which began his career was "Agent Double'O'Soul" (1965), a reference to the James Bond films popular at the time. Other early hits included "Headline News", "Back Street", a cover of The Miracles "Way Over There", and "S.O.S. (Stop Her On Sight)". He recorded more soul music for the next three years before having an international hit in "25 Miles" (1968), which peaked at #6 in the United States the following year.
The biggest hit of his career, which cemented his reputation, was the Vietnam War protest song " War (Edwin Starr song)|War " (1970). Starr's intense vocals transformed a The Temptations|Temptations album track into a #1 chart success, which spent three weeks in the top position on the US Billboard (magazine)|Billboard charts, an anthem for the antiwar movement and a cultural milestone that continues to resound in movie soundtrack s and hip hop music samples. It sold over three million copies, and was awarded a music recording sales certification|gold disc .cite book | first= Joseph | last= Murrells | year= 1978 | title= The Book of Golden Discs | edition= 2nd | publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd | location= London | page= 286 | isbn= 0-214-20512-6 "War" appeared on both Starr's War and Peace album and its follow-up, Involved . Involved also featured another song of similar construction titled "Stop the War Now", which was a minor hit in its own right.
Moving to England in 1973, Starr continued to record, most notably the song "Hell Up in Harlem" for the 1974 film Hell Up in Harlem , which was the sequel to Black Caesar (film)|Black Caesar , an earlier hit with a soundtrack by James Brown (musician)|James Brown . In 1979, Starr reappeared on the charts with a pair of disco hits, "(Eye-To-Eye) Contact" and "H.A.P.P.Y. Radio". "Contact" was the more successful of the two, peaking at #65 on the US pop charts, #13 on the Hot R& B/Hip-Hop Songs|R& B chart, #1 on the dance chart, and #6 on the UK Singles Chart . By now he had joined the well-established disco boom, and had further singles on 20th Century Records . Over the years he released tracks on many labels, including Avatar, Calibre, 10 Records, Motown (a return to his former label for a 1989 remix of "25 Miles"), Streetwave and Hippodrome.
In 1985, Starr released "It Ain't Fair". Despite garnering the attention of many in the soul and dance clubs, it fell short of becoming a hit. Starr appeared on the charity number one single " Let It Be (Ferry Aid song)|Let It Be " by Let It Be (Ferry Aid song)|Ferry Aid in 1987. Later that year, Starr teamed up with the Stock, Aitken and Waterman production company for the club hit "Whatever Makes Our Love Grow". In 1989, a number 17 UK hit by the Cookie Crew called "Got to Keep On" sampling (music)|sampled a portion of "25 Miles".cite book|last=Warwick|first=Neil |coauthors=Kutner, Jon|others=Brown, Tony|title=The Complete Book of the British Charts: Singles and Albums|publisher=Omnibus Press|pages=261|isbn=1-84449-058-0 This track was then featured on a 1990 dance Medley (music)|medley made for the BRIT Awards , which made number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. http://www.everyhit.com/retrocharts/1990-March.html everyhit.com A club mix of various artists, it included the previous years remix of "25 Miles".
In 1989, Starr also joined Ian Levine 's Motorcity Records , releasing six singles and the album Where Is the Sound , as well as co-writing several songs for other artists on the label. Starr resurfaced briefly in 2000 to team up with the United Kingdom|UK musical ensemble|band Utah Saints to record a new version of "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On". He appeared again in 2002 to record a song with the United Kingdom|British musician Jools Holland , singing "Snowflake Boogie" on Holland's compact disc More Friends ; and to record another track with Utah Saints, a so-far-unreleased version of his number one hit "War" — his last-ever recording.
Starr remained a hero on England's Northern Soul circuit and continued living in England for the remainder of his life.cite news|url= http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/edwin-starr-730180.html;col1|title=Obituary: Edwin Starr|last=Leigh|first=Spencer |date=2003-04-03|publisher= The Independent |pages=|accessdate=2008-08-14Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot
On April 2, 2003, at the age of 61, Starr suffered a myocardial infarction|heart attack EdwinStarr.info and died while taking a bath at his home in Bramcote near Nottingham . He left a wife, Annette Mary Hatcher, a son André Hatcher, and two grandchildren Alonté Renfroe and Maryah Hatcher.
His brother Angelo Starr is now fronting the Team, the band Edwin Starr had been touring with for over 20 years. His previous band, Total Concept Unlimited, became the band Rose Royce after adding a female singer.
Discography
Albums
Soul Master (1965)
25 Miles (album)|25 Miles (1969) (#73 US) (#9 R& B)
War and Peace (Edwin Starr album)|War and Peace (1970) (#52 US)(#9 R& B)
Involved (album)|Involved (1971) (# 178 US)(# 45 R& B)
Hell Up in Harlem (album)|Hell Up in Harlem (1974)
Free to Be Myself (1975) (#43 R& B) (#210 US)
Clean (Edwin Starr album)|Clean (1979) (#80 US) (#22 R& B)
Happy Radio (1979) (#115 US) (#44 R& B)
Stronger Than You Think I Am (1979) (#203 US)
For Sale (Edwin Starr album)|For Sale (1983) http://www.discogs.com/Edwin-Starr-For-Sale/release/1854865 Edwin Starr- For Sale @Discogs.com Retrieved 8-28-2011.
cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 524
Singles
"Agent Double-O-Soul" (1965) (#8 R& B) (#21 Pop)
"Back Street" (1966) (#33 R& B) (#95 Pop)
"Headline News" (1966) (#84 U.S.) (#39 UK)
"I'll Love You Forever" (1966) with The Holidays (#7 R& B) (#63 Pop)
"Lonely Summer" (1966) (written by Starr and performed by The Shades Of Blue )
"S.O.S. (Stop Her On Sight)" (1966) (#9 R& B) (#48 Pop) (#11 UK)
"I Want My Baby Back"
"I Am The Man For You Baby" (1968)
"Grits Ain't Grocery" (1968)
"25 Miles" (1969) (#6 R& B and Pop) (#36 UK)
"Oh How Happy" (1969) (#92 U.S.) with Blinky Williams
"I'm Still a Struggling Man" (1969) (#27 R& B) (#80 Pop)
"Way Over There" (1969)
"Time" (1970) (#39 R& B) (#117 Pop)
" War (Edwin Starr song)|War " (1970) (#3 R& B) (#1 Pop) (#3 UK)
"Stop the War Now" (1970) (#5 R& B) (#26 Pop) (#33 UK)
"Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On" (1971) (#6 R& B) (#64 Pop)
http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/393/edwin_starr_october_1992_bands_classi... Edwin Starr interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' 10/92
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5521|pure_url=yesEdwin Starr at Allmusic
http://www.oomgallery.net Film of Edwin Starr career made in UK 1995 / Windrush Productions
Find a Grave|7322959|accessdate=September 3, 2010
Persondata|NAME= Starr, Edwin |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Hatcher, Charles Edwin |SHORT DESCRIPTION= Singer |DATE OF BIRTH= January 21, 1942 |PLACE OF BIRTH= Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville , Tennessee , United States |DATE OF DEATH= April 2, 2003 |PLACE OF DEATH= Beeston, Nottinghamshire , England DEFAULTSORT:Starr, Edwin Category:1942 births Category:2003 deaths Category:African American singers Category:American dance musicians Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:Cardiovascular disease deaths in England Category:Motown artists Category:People from Nashville, Tennessee Category:Musicians from Tennessee Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:American rhythm and blues musicians Category:American soul musicians Category:Northern soul musicians Category:Ric-Tic Records artists
