The Resume

(November 15, 1932-June 13, 1972)
Born in Durham, North Carolina
Rhythm & blues singer
Member of the Dominoes (1950-53) and the Drifters (1953-54)
With the Dominoes sang lead on 'Have Mercy Baby' (1952) and 'The Bells' (1953)
With the Drifters, sang lead on 'Money Honey' (1953), 'Such a Night' (1954), 'Honey Love' (1954) and 'White Christmas' (1954)
Solo recorded the singles 'Love Has Joined Us Together' (with Ruth Brown, 1955), 'Seven Days' (1956), 'Treasure of Love' (1956), 'Without Love (There Is Nothing)' (1957), 'Long Lonely Nights' (1957), 'A Lover's Question' (1958), 'Since You've Been Gone' (1959), 'Ta Ta (Just Like a Baby)' (1960) and 'Lover Please' (1962)
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist (1987) and as a member of the Drifters (1988)

Why he might be annoying:

He fathered a son out of wedlock with fellow R&B singer Ruth Brown.
After the hits dried up, he became increasingly depressed and drank heavily.
Shortly before his death, he responded to an interviewer who introduced herself as a fan of his by declaring, 'I have no fans.'

Why he might not be annoying:

He was asked to join the Dominoes after wowing the audience during amateur night at Harlem's Apollo Theatre.
On the Dominoes' records, he was one of the first performers to apply gospel-style 'sanctified' singing to R&B songs.
Smokey Robinson said, 'He was one of the first guys I ever listened to. When he first came on the scene, he was The Man.'
He was the first person inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Alcohol Contributed to My Death
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 55]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [November] (Ranked: 11151932)
• I am on a U.S. Postage Stamp [M-Q]
• I Died in 1972 (Ranked: 39)
• I Died in My 30s (Ranked: 39)
• I Fathered Children Out of Wedlock
• I'm Depressed [Reportedly Uni-polar]
• Look at Me, I'm Postage
• My Music was Lost in the 2008 Universal Studios Fire
• Profiles 35751-36000 (Ranked: 35868)
• Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Members (Ranked: 1987)
• Rolling Stone’s 200 Greatest Singers of All Time [1-100] (Ranked: 99)

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 12 Votes: 41.67% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 6 Votes: 16.67% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 59 Votes: 62.71% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 6 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 73 Votes: 56.16% Annoying