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Biography
primary sources|date=December 2008Infobox musical artist | name = Geno Washington| image = GenoWashington.jpg| caption = Pictured in 2007| image_size =| background = solo_singer| birth_name = William Francis Washington| alias =| birth_date = Birth year and age|1943|12| death_date =| origin = Evansville, Indiana , United States | instrument = Human voice|Vocals | genre = Soul music|Soul , Rhythm and Blues|R& B , Pop music|pop , blues | occupation = Musician | years_active = 1966–present| label = Piccadilly Records|Piccadilly , Marble Arch Records|Marble Arch , Pye Records|Pye , DJM Records|DJM | associated_acts = Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band | website = http://genowashington.com/ genowashington.com| notable_instruments = Geno Washington (born William Francis Washington , December 1943, Evansville, Indiana ) is an United States|American Rhythm and blues|R& B singing|singer who released five album s with Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band|The Ram Jam Band between 1966 and 1969, and eight solo (music)|solo albums beginning in 1976.
Music career 1960's to 1980's
Early to late 1960s
main|Geno Washington & The Ram Jam BandWashington was stationed in England with the United States Air Force during the early 1960s. While stationed in East Anglia , Washington became known as a frequent stand-in at concert|gigs around London . When guitarist Pete Gage (guitarist)|Pete Gage saw him at a nightclub in 1965, he asked Washington to join his new group, that was to become Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band .
They had two of the biggest selling United Kingdom|UK album s of the 1960s, both of which were live album s. Their most commercially successful album, Hand Clappin, Foot Stompin, Funky-Butt ... Live! was in the UK Albums Chart for 38 weeks in 1966, and was only out-sold by The Sound of Music and Bridge Over Troubled Water .Citation needed|date=December 2008 The other album was ''Hipster Flipsters Finger Poppin' Daddies . They had a number of moderate UK Singles Chart hit record|hits during 1966-1967 on the Pye Records|Pye record label|label : "Water" (which reached no.39), "Hi Hi Hazel" (no.45), " Que Sera Sera " (no.43) and "Michael (The Lover)" (no.39). They managed to build up a strong following with the crowds and due to their concert tour|touring and energetic performances. Like their Pye label mates and rivals, Jimmy James (singer)|Jimmy James and the Vagabonds , they became popular with the Mod (subculture)|mod scene. The band broke up in the autumn of 1969 and the band members went their own ways while Geno Washington continued as a solo artist before returning to the United States. Keyboard player Geoffrey K. Pullum became an academic linguist, and is today a professor at the University of Edinburgh and a well-known linguistics blogger at the Language Log and Lingua Franca websites. http://www.lel.ed.ac.uk/~gpullum/longer_bio.html
The band's name came from the Ram Jam Inn, an old coaching inn on the A1 road (Great Britain)|A1 (Great North Road) at Stretton, Rutland|Stretton , near Oakham , Rutland . Gage later formed Vinegar Joe (band)|Vinegar Joe with Elkie Brooks and Robert Palmer (singer)|Robert Palmer .
The 1970s
Washington left the United Kingdom|UK to return to the United States and disappeared from the music industry for a length of time. He studied hypnosis and meditation , made acquaintance with The Beach Boys and sound recording and reproduction|recorded some music with them that was never released. He later recorded three albums for the DJM label, ''Geno's Back (1976), Live (1976), That's Why Hollywood Loves Me (1979).
The 1980s
He was encouraged to make a comeback in 1980 due to the rekindled interest in him resulting from the Dexys Midnight Runners hit single (music)|single , " Geno (song)|Geno ", but he initially declined, as he was completing his degree in hypnotism. But soon he was back in the UK touring extensively and playing many gigs particularly in South East London.
The 1990s to present
Washington has been active on stage, recording and releasing new music on various labels, with titles such as "Change Your Thoughts You Change Your Life", "Live Sideways", "Loose Lips", "Put Out the Cat", "The Return of the G", "Take This Job and Stuff It" and "What's In the Pot? ".
As of 2007, Washington and his band could be regularly seen concert tour|touring in the UK.
In January 2009 he released a single ''"I'm Doing 99 Years"'' and the proceeds from the single's sales will go to the victims of crime and child abuse.Mercury http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/hertfordshiremercury-leisure/DisplayArticle.asp? ID=390866 Soul originals put glide into your stride
In July 2009 he headlined the Kelvedon Free Music Festival.
In August 2010 Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band were one of the headline acts at Rhythm Festival http://www.rhythmfestival.com Official Rhythm Festival website and will be appearing at the Gulbenkian Theatre , Canterbury in October 2010.
TV & Film career
Washington has appeared on television as far back as the 1960s. In 1966 he appeared in Episode 11 of Ready Steady Go! . This episode also featured other stars such as Françoise Hardy , Cilla Black , Wayne Fontana and the Spencer Davis Group . In 1967, along with the Ram Jam Band , he appeared on The Record Star Show and doubtless others in the 1960s. Since then he has appreared on Top Ten (series)|Top Ten (1980) in 2000 and the mini series S.O.U.L.--Sounds of Underground London in 2003.
He has embraced actor|acting , taking a role in Paparazzo , a 1995 film starring Nick Berry and Fay Masterson. In 2007 he appeared as himself in an episode of Midsomer Murders , entitled "The Axeman Cometh", that also featured Suzi Quatro and Mike Read .imdb http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0913446/ Geno Washington
Writing and public speaking
He is the author of The Blood Brothers , a Vietnam War|war exploitation story. Washington has also penned children's stories. He has appeared as a motivational speaker.
Hypnotism
Washington is a member of the Guild of Hypnotists.The Brook http://www.the-brook.com/dates2006/09.2006.shtml Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, The Master of Soul - Great performer He has also included hypnotism as part of his act. In the past his show has consisted of some demonstrations of hypnotism in the first half and some "Get down soul music" in the second half.
Current and recent activities
He recently collaborated with comedian and musician Matt Berry for the track, "Get Here in Time."
Geno appears in the movie A Bit of Tom Jones , which had its London premiere in 2009. The film, which was made in Tredegar in South Wales, contains John Henshaw and Denise Welch .
Personal
Geno met his wife Frenchie at the Bag O'Nails club in London , which is also the place where her sister met Peter Noone of Hermans Hermits , whom she married, making Geno Washington and Peter Noone brothers-in-law. This is also the same club where Paul McCartney met Linda Eastman.High Tide http://www.hightidemagazine.com/index.php? option=com_content& task=view& id=210 The hypnotist: Geno Washington interviewed
Solo discography
See also|Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band#Discography
7" Singles
"Alison Please" / "Each and Every Part of Me", PYE 7N 45019 - 1971
"Feeling So Good (Skooby Doo)" / "My Little Chickadee" - PYE 7N 45085 - 1971
"Dirty Dirty" / "Give 'Em a Hand" - PYE 7N 45121
"End of the World" / "Tell Me Tell Me Please" - DJM DJS 10365 - 1975
"Hold On Momma" / "Help I'm In Love Again" - DJM DJS 10392 - 1975
"Love Me Love Me" / "Hold On" - DJM DJS 10642 - 1976
''That's Why Hollywood Loves Me - DJM DJF 20561 - 1979
Put Out the Cat - Teldec AP 624665 - 1981
Live Sideways - Ammunition GENO LP1 - 1986
Take That Job and Stuff It - Konnexion KOMO 788027 - 1987
CD Single
"The Blues Walks With Me" / "Wake Me When the Morning Comes" - Thunderbird CSA 007 - 1998
CD Album
Change Your Thoughts You Change Your Life (With the Purple Aces) - thunderbird CSA 114 - 1998
References
reflist
External links
myspace|genoramjamband
http://genowashington.com/ Geno Washington official site
http://www.gotmymojoworking.com/media.html Geno Washington is a legend
http://www.phoenixfm.com/blackmore-music-festival-2006.php Interview with Geno Washington at the 2006 Blackmore Music Festival
http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Geno%20Washington.html Geno Washington biography at Soulwalking.co.uk
http://blogs.citypages.com/pscholtes/2005/10/gino_washington.asp "Gino Washington vs. Geno Washington" biography at Complicated Fun, 20 October 2005
http://www.besonic.com/Geno_Washington "The Genius of Geno"
The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2000/jan/12/artsfeatures2 Mojo's mix and match Geno Washington Jazz Cafe London
Whats On http://www.whatsonne.co.uk/gb/music/news/soul-survivor-geno-washington Soul Survivor Geno Washington by Sam Beattie Evening Gazette
http://www.hightidemagazine.com/index.php? option=com_content& task=view& id=210 High Tide magazine: The hypnotist: Geno Washington interviewed
Persondata | NAME =Washington, Geno | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = 1943 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Washington, Geno Category:1943 births Category:Living people Category:People from Evansville, Indiana Category:English male singers Category:English soul singers Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:American soul musicians Category:American novelists Category:American writers Category:British rhythm and blues boom musicians
