LISTEN: "Big Town Boy" by Shirley Matthews
1960s soul from the Yonge Street scene
Back in the 1960s, more than a few Toronto musicians made a name for themselves at the legendary Club Bluenote. It was an after hours soul club on Yonge Street just north of Gerrard. And for a while, Shirley Matthews was the singer with the house band. She'd gotten her start by performing at high school dances while she worked a full-time job as a switchboard operator for Bell. But before long she had a regular gig singing into the wee hours of the morning at the Bluenote, where some of the biggest names in the history of soul music — Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Edwin Starr, The Righteous Brothers, Jackie Wilson — would stop by to jam after their Toronto shows.
1960s soul from the Yonge Street scene
Back in the 1960s, more than a few Toronto musicians made a name for themselves at the legendary Club Bluenote. It was an after hours soul club on Yonge Street just north of Gerrard. And for a while, Shirley Matthews was the singer with the house band. She'd gotten her start by performing at high school dances while she worked a full-time job as a switchboard operator for Bell. But before long she had a regular gig singing into the wee hours of the morning at the Bluenote, where some of the biggest names in the history of soul music — Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Edwin Starr, The Righteous Brothers, Jackie Wilson — would stop by to jam after their Toronto shows.
She recorded "Big Town Boy" in 1964 and it became a hit — selling more than a million copies.
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Listen to more songs associated with Club Bluenote here.
Listen to more songs from the Yonge Street strip here.
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I had 2 copies but I sold one. Always been one of my favorites
ReplyDeleteMet her once, she was a friend of my sister. Very pleasant, and very well spoken. I'm not at all surprised that she became a big success in the fitness industry, after her marriage.
ReplyDelete