The Pitfalls Of Being A Performer

[Roburt]

Back in the 60's, trying to establish a career as a soul singer wasn't an easy path.

Of course you needed a good voice, decent co-ordination, flair in your dress sense and a decent business head.

You also had to steer clear of too much booze and of drugs. If you managed to land a recording contract, it was quite common to be cheated out of any record royalties. So if you didn't actually write the songs you cut, then little money would be coming your way from that branch of the biz. Even playing live gigs had many pitfalls. You had to be signed by a booking agent and lots of those would cheat you out of a lot of your performance fee. You had to cozy up to club owners to ensure they booked you at their venue. You had to find an arranger to write charts for you and a backing musician(s) to support you on live dates. You had to ensure you were actually paid your fee (best done before you performed). You had to do 'free gigs' for local DJ's and celeb club owners.You had to hope that the venue's house band musicians could play well and that they knew your songs. Some of the venues would be far from home, so you needed decent and reliable transport. Some clubs were in very dodgy areas, so getting safely to & back from them could be 'interesting'. Many clubs had their fair share of bad customers (mobsters, pimps, ladies of the night, drunks, angry guys with guns, etc.). You had to have the stamina to perform 3 /4 / 5 times a night for up to an hour each show. You had to be prepared to perform up to 6 nights a week at each venue and then go out plugging your wares on the 7th day.  

Then if you were a woman, even more obstacles had to be negotiated. Your booking agent, club owners, club managers, club bookers, members of the house band and the like might come after you looking for favours. If you had family, you had to find someone responsible to look after the kids, younger brothers & sisters, elderly mother, etc.   

 

Over and above all that, you never knew what was really going on 'behind the scenes' at any of the clubs you played.

In Baltimore in 1965, a posh new club, the Lexington West was opened. The place immediately started to book top acts and so attracted a big crowd most nights of the week. However within 8 months the place had gone.

The Lexington West (721 West Lexington Street) was located across from the Lexington Terrace Projects in Baltimore. The club  booked a good number of top soul acts in 1965 (Aretha Franklin, the Escorts, Baby Washington, Walter Jackson, Virgie Til, Arthur Prysock, Erma Franklin, the Anglos, Gloria Lynn, etc). The place had been opened in early April 1965 but was gone before the end of the year. In September 1965 the club's manager, Eddie Tucker (37), had been arrested for possession of drugs. He was convicted of narcotics offences in December by which time the club was already closed and padlocked. The club's liquor license had been granted in tucker's wifes name and it had been suspended while he appealed his conviction. By the time his appeal hearing came around, in late January 1966, both he and his wife had skipped town.

So as a singer, you just never knew what situations you could be getting yourself into.

Edited October 6, 2013 by Roburt

[Roburt]

A locally based singer who secured bookings at the club was the 'vivacious' Virgie Til.

Virgie had been born in Florida but had moved up to Baltimore at an early age to live with relatives. She started to sing and caught the eye of the Oriole's Sonny Til. Sonny was married but that didn't stop him adding Virgie to his touring revue package. She assumed his name and Sonny put the tale around that she was his 'much younger sister' but no brother / sister teaming shared a room that only contained a double bed whilst touring. Eventually, Virgie went out on her own and landed a record contract. Sonny was left abandoned (by both Virgie & his wife who was granted a divorce) back in Baltimore. 

Edited July 6, 2013 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Of course, it wasn't just the performers that had to watch themselves.

The Lexington West's original owner had bought & done up the building in 1964. That allowed him to fit it out and open for business in April 1965.

The club was closed and locked by December 1965 and its original owner soon lost interest in the club. But in 1968, the venue was bought by local nightclub owner Walter 'Kidd' Henderson. However, within months (in August 1969) he was shot dead in another place he owned on Pennsylvania Avenue, Baltimore's black entertainment hot spot.

Seems that the Lexington West only brought bad luck to guys involved with the place.

Edited July 6, 2013 by Roburt

[Roburt]

As Virgie Til seems to figure in a major way on this thread, thought I'd post this here ...........

Virgie had hooked up with 'her brother' Sonny Til by 1960 but it still didn't stop her from 'looking elsewhere'.

When Jackie Wilson hit B'more in late January 1960, she volunteered to go along to his show and (with a local beauty queen) present Jackie with the 'Top Recording Star of 1959' award while dressed in what looked like a bathing costume.

I suppose she was just taking every opportunity to gain publicity and to further her singing career.

Whatever the reason, her efforts to advance her singing career paid off as she was landing top local club bookings by the mid 60's and also landed a record deal with Glover Records ..............

 

 

Edited September 13, 2013 by Roburt

[Roburt]

By the way, in case you're interested ............... back in 1960 ...............

Virgie's measurements were 36 - 24  - 42  and  she was 5' 7" tall (sounds like she had quite a booty on her). 

[Roburt]

......... a slight variation here .......... this could be titled THE PITFALLS OF RUNNING A FEMALE GROUP ...........

...............rest of post copied across from Soulful Detroit Forum .................

 When the Velvelettes were auditioned in 1962, there were 5. Come 1963 when Millie became pregnant, they had to perform as four. Later Millie returned but then it was Norma's turn! So during this time, there were mostly four consisting of Cal, Bertha and Kelli plus one more being either Millie or Norma. Kelli left the group officially when she was 20 in September 1964 because that was when she was able to sign a contract herself. However, she had been recording as a Vandella as far back as June 1964. 

From then on it was reduced to a basic 3 with Norma and Millie interchanging. So that is why you see Millie in the Apollo shots and Norma at the Regal in Chicago. Millie’s decision to reduce her input was down to the negativity from folks who didn’t agree with her leaving her children at home to go on tour. So Millie only helped out in exceptional circumstances. 
Bertha and Norma (who gave birth yet again) carried on with Cal but both of them wanted to leave permanently by 1965. When I reviewed the studio logs with them in about 2003/4, they concluded that they stopped recording in about June 1965. However, Cal only had to recruit new members for tours, not for recording purposes. All Velvelettes recordings at this time consisted of Cal on lead with Cal plus the Andantes (or whoever else was there) on background. 
Annette was taken on first as a dancer. Cal would interchange the third girl with Bertha, Norma or even a cousin. 
The Velvelettes then had an engagement in about January 1966 for 'Where The Action Is' which I gather is based on the West Coast. She couldn't use her cousin or any of the other former Velvelettes for that engagement because it was not local. Cal had to recruit a new girl and she was called Gail and hailed from Baltimore. (Cal doesn't even recall her surname). However Gail wasn’t there all that long before she started to take steps to take over the group! So she was gone soon after that engagement. In that TV appearance of Needle...Gail is furthest from Cal! LOLOL 
Sandy (Tillie  -- from Cleveland) was introduced to Cal by Abdul Fakir of the 4 Tops who had met Sandy in Philadelphia. Sandy was also a great dancer, looked good and fitted in well with the group. Sandy also harboured a secret wish to sing lead but Cal only found out about that much later. In fact Cal hadn’t heard Sandy’s lead vocal on "Honey Love" until I played it to her in about 2004.
 

Edited October 6, 2013 by Roburt

[Ady Croasdell]

John it was far from "almost certain" the artists would be cheated out of their royalties. Many record companies kept meticulous records and paid every cent owed. Many artists have short memories and forget about the advances they get before the record comes out. We have boxes of original artists royalty statements and cheque stubs that show this to be true. It's a lazy generalism that is now being touted as how it always was. Ady

Edited October 6, 2013 by ady croasdell

[Rick Cooper]

John it was far from "almost certain" the artists would be cheated out of their royalties. Many record companies kept meticulous records and paid every cent owed. Many artists have short memories and forget about the advances they get before the record comes out. We have boxes of original artists royalty statements and cheque stubs that show this to be true. It's a lazy generalism that is now being touted as how it always was. Ady

Ady

I think I read somewhere that in the 50's and 60's a record would have to sell at least 30,000 before the artist(s) were due any money as the advance, recording costs and other charges had to be recouped before royalties were payable. Is this true?

 

As for live appearances , tales of guns and threats are common but it can't have been everywhere can it ?

 

Don Varner when interviewed said that he didn't expect to make any money from record sales but made his living from live shows.

 

Rick