Name Joe Dowell | Role Singer · joedowell.com | |
Education University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Albums Highlights Of Joe Dowell, The Best Of Joe Dowell Similar People Bobby Lewis, Dick and Dee Dee, The Jive Five, The Dovells, Adam Wade | ||
Joe dowell wooden heart 1961
Joe Dowell (January 23, 1940 – February 4, 2016) was an American pop singer.
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Joe Dowell - Little Bo Peep
Career
He was born in Bloomington, Indiana, but moved to Bloomington, Illinois, as a child. He first performed at a ninth-grade talent show and later attended the University of Illinois. At his first recording session (backed by organist Ray Stevens), he sang the tune "Wooden Heart", which had been a hit for Elvis Presley in Europe but which was never released as a single stateside. "Wooden Heart" became the first single released on Smash Records to shoot to #1 on the Hot 100 in 1961. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. In the wake of his success, Dowell wanted to become a songwriter in his own right, but, due to contractual obligations, he was required to sing music owned by Smash's parent company, Mercury Records. He had two further hits, "The Bridge of Love" (US #50) and "Little Red Rented Rowboat" (US #23), but, after struggles with his management, he was dropped from the label.
Dowell went on to record one single for Monument Records, a folk album in the 1960s, and a number of singles and a gospel album for his own Journey label in the 1970s and 1980s. He also recorded a bicentennial EP for the Boy Scouts of America and radio jingles.
In 2004 Bear Family Records released a CD on Joe Dowell's music, including unreleased recordings. His publicist and friend Johnny Vallis confirmed to The Associated Press that Joe Dowell died on February 4, 2016 in Bloomington, Illinois, after suffering a heart attack in the prior weekend. He was 76.