Jo Jo Benson found dead in Motel Room

RIP Jo Jo

http://www.wtvm.com/story/27693882/jojo-benson-found-dead-at-motel-6-on-victory-dr

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According to the Muscogee County Coroner, Benson was found dead at a hotel on Victory Drive just before 2:45 Tuesday morning. Benson is best known nationally for his duos with Chuck Willis and Peggy Scott-Adams, but Battle recalls him being known for different performances locally.

"There used to be a club downtown Columbus called Club Lavanna and he used to perform there," Battle added. "I was a youngster, but I remember hearing my mother talk about it. And one of the songs that she used to like to hear him sing all the time was a version on Sam Cooke's 'Summertime.'"

Joseph M. Hewell, better known under his stage name Jo Jo Benson (April 15, 1938 — December 23, 2014) was an American R&B singer, best known for his recordings in the late 1960s with Peggy Scott.

He was born in Phenix City, Alabama, and began singing in nightclubs when in his teens. He joined Chuck Willis as a backing singer in the early 1960s, before joining forces with fellow singer Peggy Scott, who previously backed Ben E. King, in a duo. The pair were heard and encouraged by record producer Huey Meaux. and were recruited by Shelby Singleton's SSS International label in Nashville, Tennessee, in order to record duets.Their first recording for the label, "Lover's Holiday", reached #8 on the Billboard R&B chart and #31 on the pop chart in 1968, eventually becoming a gold record. They followed it up with "Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries", which was also a hit and for which they were nominated for a Grammy. Benson and Scott had two more hits in 1969, "Soulshake" and "I Want to Love You Baby", and released two albums together, Lover's Heaven and Soulshake...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Jo_Benson