The Duke Of Chicago: The Duke Turner Story

The Duke Of Chicago:   The Duke Turner Story.

Willie Roy Turner was born on the 21st of February 1939 in Louisville, Mississippi, the fourth of eight children born to parents Florence and Herman Turner. It was Herman who gave his son Willie Roy the pet/nickname of ‘Duke’, which Willie used as his stage and professional name in later life. Duke is a rarity in himself, being one of only 0.2% of African-Americans to be born with blue eyes.

The Turner family migrated north to Chicago, Illinois, in 1953 settling, in the South Side of the city with Duke returning to Louisville each semester to continue his education. Duke spent the summer holidays with his family in the Windy City, taking a part-time job at the ‘Golden Rod Ice Cream Company’. Upon his eventual graduation, Duke finally made the permanent move to Chicago circa 1959 taking up full-time employment at Golden Rod as a tool and maintenance fitter. 

Duke’s first foray into secular music arose when he was accompanied by Muddy Waters Band at Smitty’s Corner Club and performed an impressive recital of the 1959 Big Jay Neely standard “There’s Something On Your Mind” at an Open Mic Night sometime in 1963. Duke performed at many talent shows, often in the early hours of the morning after finishing his shift at the ice cream factory.  During one of these shows Duke met and was befriended by a fellow native Mississippian, Garland Green. Green himself was later talent spotted at the Trocadero Theater (one of Chicago’s most popular burlesque clubs of the day) by the then husband and wife team of Mel Collins and “Joshie” Jo Armstead who signed him to their Giant Enterprises production company. Through Giant Enterprises, Green released his first single, the sublime “Girl, I Love You” (also released twice by Little Jimmy Scott on Giant Enterprises) on the Detroit Gamma label which garnered enough sales in Detroit and Chicago to be picked up by MCA for release on their subsidiary label, Revue. Green’s third Revue single release, “Ain’t That Good Enough”, was composed by Jo Armstead, brothers Howard and Walter Scott and respected session drummer Ira Gates. Green would later introduce Duke Turner to the Scott Brothers.

The Scott Brothers Review (later known as The Scott Brothers World) was one of Chicago’s most respected groups and was also the house band at one of Chicago’s most renowned clubs -The Bonanza Lounge. The Scott’s also operated their own production company Capri Productions producing songs on their own labels and artists. In tandem with the Scott Brothers, Duke recorded his first 45, the upbeat funk mover “Doggie Dog World” b/w “Put Some Soul In Your Dance”. Penned by Duke and respected arranger Johnny Cameron and co-produced by Duke and Howard Scott, the songs gained a release on Don Clay’s Omega label during 1968. It was around this time that Duke married his first wife Gladys with whom he raised two children daughter Joanna and son Willie Roy Jr.

Duke’s second 45 featured the self-penned dance orientated song “Shake Your Rang-A Tang (Rang-Dang-Du)” (vocal and instrumental) and appeared on Duke’s own label-Spinning Top Records-during 1969. Credited as Duke Turner & The Gems Of Peace, the group comprised of a quartet a musicians that Duke put together specifically for the release. Featuring a bassist by the name of Cleveland Johnson, a drummer known as ‘Nuke’, and two other guys, the songs arrangements were crafted by Bill McFarland a trombonist and flute player who, as a member of the Al-Tog Staff worked closely with the Scott Brothers (McFarland now in his mid-80s still performs today with the jazz ensemble, The Chicago Horns). Duke’s next Spinning Top 45 was the soulful dancer “(Let Me Be Your) Baby Sitter” (Part 1&2) which was released during 1970. Originally recorded for release with a b-side track entitled “Friendship Or Friends”, Ed Cody-the studio engineer on the project - persuaded Duke to drop the track for use at a later date (more on this later in the article), thus the 45 was released with “Baby Sitter” parts 1 & 2. “Baby Sitter was co-written by Duke and his niece Cynthia McAfree. The 45 is credited as Duke Turner & The Chi-Towns, with the Chi-Towns being a vocal trio consisting of sisters Margie and Pat Stroud, plus a guy only remembered as Smokey. Margie Stroud also played keyboards on “Baby Sitter” and the unreleased “Friendship Or Friends”. Sidney Pinchback, who later recorded as a solo artist on Twinight records and as a member of the group South Shore Commission on Wand, provided the arrangements.

Although a brief hiatus in Duke’s recording career was to follow, he continued to perform in several notable clubs in Chicago’s South Side, including Peyton Place, High Chaparral, Club Elisa and The Bonanza Lounge. Duke’s employment at Golden Rod Ice Cream Co came to an end in 1972 when the company closed down on the day of his 33rd birthday. Within days Duke had taken up a similar position of employment at Jewel Foodstores a regional supermarket chain with outlets in the Chicago metropolitan area and other parts of the Midwest. (The company is still in operation to this day but is now called Jewel-Osco).

Duke’s next foray into the recording studio yielded the 1974 release “Give Me Some Sugar, Baby”, a song Duke wrote with respected bassist, composer and arranger Bradley Austin Bobo. Duke had been introduced to Brad Bobo through a long-time neighbourhood friend, James Stroud of the vocal group The Notations (during their Tad and Twinight period only). In fact Duke, having years earlier turned down an invitation to join The Notations as he preferred to work as a solo artist was the person responsible for recommending Stroud to the group’s founding members in place of himself.

Referring back to the group members of the ‘Chi-Towns’ the Stroud Sisters were indeed James Stroud’s daughters. Stroud had become involved with Brad Bobo during his time with The Notations, a relationship that was to continue following Stroud’s retirement from the group. Under the production stewardship of Stroud and Bobo (the arranger on the session), Duke recorded the mellifluous ballad “Give Me Some Sugar, Baby”, which he released as a vocal and instrumental on his own Spinning Top Label. Duke wasn’t going to leave any possibility of artist misidentification to chance he added his date of birth, his birth sign-Pisces and his hometown (Louisville Mississippi) to the label credits! The song also gained a second release on the Crajon label owned by Bill and Denise Jones (a.k.a Denise LaSalle). Bill Jones had befriended Duke, offering him help and advice with radio promotion of his records, hence the second release of “Give Me Some Sugar” dropped the word “Baby” from the title, and the instrumental version on the flipside was replaced with the Stroud/Bobo penned “Pusher Man (Give Me A Dime)” a superb social commentary song admirably delivered by Duke.

The two girls in the photo are The Chi-Towns, Margie & Pat Stroud

Into the 1980’s, Duke had assembled a small band that performed under the collective name of Torch. The group’s bassist, Pierre Taylor, had been responsible for introducing Duke to two 20-year -olds, keyboardist Terry Coffey and his friend, pianist and budding song writer Jon Nettlesbey. The band also included a drummer by the name of Finley. Nettlesbey and Duke struck up a great friendship with Duke mentoring the youngster in the art of songwriting. The fruits of this liaison would lead to the 1983 Duke Turner Spinning Top release “This Love Will Last”, an excellent ballad that featured a more up-to-date reworking of Duke’s earlier song “Give Me Some Sugar, Baby” under the title of “Sugar Baby Your Love”. Jon Nettlesbey and Terry Coffey would go onto great things either writing or producing many R&B/Pop hits of the 1990’s on artists such as Aaron Hall, Howard Hewett, Miki Howard, Michael Jackson, Alexander O’Neil, Teddy Pendergrass and Keith Washington amongst others. The duo hit paydirt again when, through the Creative Artists Agency, they entered the lucrative and competitive world of commercial jingles, successfully writing and producing the hit jingle “Always Coca-Cola” which was performed by Joey Diggs in 1993. The duo followed this success with the “Coca-Cola Enjoy” campaign in 1999. The aforementioned song, “Sugar Baby Your Love” was later licensed by the Chicago specialist boogie label ‘Star Creature’ and was released in 2021 as part of a four-track 12” project as an extended ‘Kool Hersh Edit’.

After leaving Jewel Foodstores Distributors in 1985 due to the closure of their dairy department, Duke entered in-to a business partnership with Fred Johnson (a former fellow performing/recording artist whom he had first met while working with the Scott Brothers Capri Productions). Duke and Fred began running their own night club, The Celebrity Lounge & Showroom where they both also performed. Duke’s repertoire included many cover versions of his favourite songs such as the old standard “You Are My Sunshine”, and Johnny Taylor’s hit “Disco Lady”, as well as often throwing in “Give Me Some Sugar, Baby” for good measure. The Celebrity Lounge closed down in 2000 with Fred Johnson having since sadly passed away. Duke’s first wife Gladys had sadly passed away in 1999. However Duke didn’t remain a widow for too long following his marriage to his second wife Donna Dawson-Turner. Duke became a father for the third time at the age of 62 when Donna gave birth to his second son, Jonathan. Following a brief flirtation with real estate Duke eventually retired, and these days his singing extends no further than his local Church.

Returning to the earlier mentioned song “Friendship Or Friends” following it’s exclusion from its intended release as the flipside to “(Let Me Be Your) Baby Sitter” back in the day the song was believed to be lost! During a conversation on social media with collector Malcolm Collins, the subject of this song was somehow raised. Might Duke Turner have a recording of the song?  Following a quick transatlantic phone call there was only bad news. With Duke having lived at several different addresses across the ensuing years, the master tapes had become mislaid and eventually lost. Ed Cody, the sound engineer on the original project, had also since passed so it appeared no sound source existed. Then providence intervened, Mal mentioned that collector Russell Gilbert a Brit living in the Netherlands, had purchased an acetate of “Baby Sitter” through e-Bay that had a cut of “Friendship Or Friends” on the flipside. When contacted, Russell was only too happy to loan us the acetate as a mastering reference. Upon receipt of the acetate, we realized in addition to the unreleased “Friendship Or Friends” the version of “Baby Sitter” was a longer and different mix to the released 45 version. After reacquainting Duke with his long-lost masters, a licensing deal was struck which will soon see the long overdue release of “Friendship or Friends” along with the alternative mix of “(Let Me Be Your) Baby Sitter” as part of a 3- track EP courtesy of Soul Junction Records that also includes the original 1974 version of “Give Me Some Sugar, Baby”, a song now finding favour with the ‘Lowrider’ scene.

Words by: David Welding.

With acknowledgements to: Duke Turner, Janice Turner, Clavorn Turner, Donna Dawson-Turner, Bill McFarland, Howard Scott, Johnny Coleman and Russell Gilbert.

Photographs courtesy of:   Duke Turner.

Purchase Link 

https://www.souljunctionrecords.co.uk/SJ557.html

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