Gary U.S. Bonds
b. Gary Anderson, 6 June 1939, Jacksonville, Florida, USA. Having initially sung in various gospel groups, Bonds embraced secular music upon moving to Norfolk, Virginia. A successful spell in the region's R&B clubs resulted in a recording deal with local entrepreneur Frank Gauida, whose cavernous production technique gave Bonds's releases their distinctive sound. The ebullient New Orleans set the pattern for the artist's subsequent recordings and its exciting, ‘party’ atmosphere reached an apogee on Quarter To Three, a US chart-topper and the singer's sole million-seller. Between 1961-62 Bonds scored further similar sounding hits with School Is Out, School Is In, Dear Lady Twist and Twist Twist Senora, but his career then went into sharp decline. He remained a stalwart of the revival circuit until 1978 when long-time devotee Bruce Springsteen joined the singer onstage during a live engagement. Their friendship resulted in DEDICATION, produced by Springsteen's and E Street Band associate Miami Steve Van Zandt. The former contributed three original songs to the set, one of which, This Little Girl, reached the US Top 10 in 1981. Their collaboration was maintained with ON THE LINE, which included Bonds'version of the Box Tops's Soul Deep, but he later asserted his independence with the self-produced STANDING IN THE LINE OF FIRE.