John F Kennedy -- Baltimore / Annapolis Area Soul Singer

[Roburt]

Back in the late 50's & early to mid 60's, only one venue was more important than the east coast chitlin-circuit theatres (Royal, Howard, Uptown, etc) and that was ... Carr's Beach, Annapolis.

Being a Beach resort, they only staged live shows (for blacks) between May & September, but during that period of each year they booked all the top black acts. Those acts were booked to play the venue by Balto label owner Rufus Mitchell (Ru-Jac). Rufus always had his hand on the pulse of what was happening in Baltimore soul circles.

In summer 61 (June / July), they had one guy jointly topping the bill twice in just a 2 week period ... a young singer who titled himself John F Kennedy ... (see attached ads).

On his first booking there, it states DIRECT FROM DETROIT, but he wasn't a Detroit based singer (perhaps he'd just returned from a booking there) ...

On his 2nd appearance on the beach he's called the YOUNG PRESIDENT OF R & B ... so he's a young guy and seems to be riding on the back of President JFK's popularity with the black community (so guess his real name wasn't JOHN F KENNEDY but something not too distant from that).

Now, in the mid 60's, two Baltimore groups came together to form Frankie & the Spindles, one of these being Frankie & the Spinners, led by Frankie Kennedy.

Frankie had been born in 1948 and his full name was Franklin C Kennedy / F Kennedy -- not too far removed from John F KENNEDY.

Anyone know if the guy performing solo on Carr's Beach in summer 61 was in fact, Frankie of the Spindles ?

BTW, in September 71, the Chi-lites record label had no intention to immediately put the group's LP track "Have You Seen Her" out on 45. Frankie & the Spindles quickly recorded a version of the song, Lucky 'A' released it as a single and it instantly started to get lots of radio plays (especially in Balto / DC / Norfolk / Philly areas). Seeing the reaction the 45 was getting, Brunswick relented & the Chi-Lites version was issued on Brunswick in mid October 71.
 

[Roburt]

The day after John 'Stand By Me' Kennedy was starring on Carr's Beach, this guy topped the bill @ the venue.

A few weeks later the same guy was topping the bill @ an adjacent black beach resort, Sparrows Beach (owned by the same black family) ... 

FOOT NOTE: James Brown didn't seem to be in 'headlining' mode yet + poor Sugar Pie DeSanto had been changed into a double act.

Edited June 19, 2023 by Roburt

[Roburt]

How Frankie & the Spinners evolved into Frankie & the Spindels / Spindles  ... 

(with a good few other acts thrown in too -- Nina Simone signed the Swordsmen included) ...

Frankie & the S's had their 1st 45 out that November, ("Count To Ten"), hence the need for the name-change.

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Roburt