Billy Stewart
b. 24 March 1937, Washington, DC, USA, d. 17 January 1970. Introduced to music by his family's Stewart Gospel Singers, Billy embraced a more secular direction with the Rainbows, a group which also included Don Covay and Marvin Gaye. From there Stewart joined Bo Diddley's band on piano. His solo debut, Billy's Blues, was released on Chess in 1956, after which he worked with the Marquees. A second single, Billy's Heartaches (1957), appeared on the OKeh label, but a return to Chess in the early 60's proved decisive. A succession of melodic songs, including I Do Love You and Sitting In The Park (both 1965), established a crafted style which blended R&B jazz and the singer's distinctive vocal delivery. These elements were prevalent in his radical interpretation of George Gershwin and DuBose Heyward's Summertime, a Top 10 US hit in 1966. Stewart's subsequent releases were less successful although he remained a popular live attraction. In January 1970, while touring in North Carolina, Billy's car plunged into the River Neuse, killing him and three of his musicians.