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| Leon Haywood |
| Leon was born in Houston ,Texas on February 11th 1942. After an unauspicious childhood he made his way into the entertainment world in the early 1960's as part of Big Jay McNeely's band, touring as backup for Sam Cooke. He had his first charting single in 1965 with "She's With Her Other Love" on the Imperial label. He was then part of two session bands organized by Los Angeles disc jockey Magnificent Montegue which issued the instrumental hits "Hole In The Wall" (1965) under the name of the Packers, and "Precious Memories" (1967) as the Romeos. In 1967, Leon had his first big solo hit with "It's Got To Be Mellow" on the Decca label. He continued to play on further recording sessions with the Packers and Dyke and The Blazers, before returning to recording under his own name. He found only sporadic success, most notably with "Keep It In The Family." With a number of labels he released a variety of singles but none caught the public's attention and went largely unnoticed. By 1974 the 32 year old was ready for a change, disco was emerging and Leon grabbed on to the sound for his first 12" single for his new label 20th Century Fox Records. "I Wanta Do Something Freaky To You" became an instant club smash and set the tone for the next decade of his career. He followed that album with one more for the label and then disappeared for a few years. During the remainder of the 1970's he recorded for both Columbia and MCA Records, achieving one minor hit with a 12" single of "Strokin'." In 1980 he mysteriously returned to 20th Century Fox Records. His first 12" single for his reunion with the label was the now classic "Don't Push It, Don't Force It." It raced up the club and radio charts and became his signature song. A second 12" single of "If You're Looking For A Night Of Fun" also did well. The singles made his "Naturally" album his biggest seller ever. The faultering label closed its doors shortly afterwards and once again Leon was labeless. Until 1983 when he signed with Casablanca Records many believed he was a one-hit wonder. Proving his critics wrong he rebounded with the "It's Me Again" album. But the success was short lived as it was a one shot deal for the label. He remained elusive for over a decade, with no new material forthcoming or no visible appearances. In the 1990's he appeared on the Evejim label with a series of releases spotlighting his previous hits (re-recorded) and newer material but with little sales success. Since then he has once again disappeared into the unknown. We give Leon his honor here not based on sales figures or chart achievements, but for his contributions to the disco world...we thank him! |
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