artist.artist

Lou Courtney

American soul singer, songwriter and producer. Former member of . Born: August 15, 1943 in Buffalo, NY, U.S.A. Died: Jun. 25, 2021 in New York, NY, U.S.A. Courtney had a minor impact on the soul music scene in the 60s with a series of dance hits that could be considered a proto-funk style. He made his first record for Imperial Records in 1962, but much of his work over the next few years was behind the scenes, writing with producer ; he wrote songs for artists such as and credited with his birth name . In 1966, Courtney signed with Riverside Records and began recording a series of dance hits that made him a national star, notably ‘Skate Now’ (number 13 R&B, number 70 pop) from 1967, and ‘Do The Thing’ (number 17 R&B, number 80 pop). He went to Buddah Records in 1968 and recorded ‘Tryin’ To Find My Woman’, which did not chart at the time of its release but later became a cult favourite among UK northern soul fans. Courtney spent a period as lead vocalist with the Packers (who recorded ‘Go Ahead’). In 1973, he began working with producer , and had a hit single with ‘What Do You Want Me To Do’ (number 48 R&B) on Epic. A second single on the label, ‘I Don’t Need Nobody Else’ (number 67 R&B) from 1974, was Lou Courtney’s last chart record. His new band released an album on RCA Records in 1976, but their proto-disco style failed to make a commercial impact.