Jimmy Soul
Born on August 24, 1942 in Weldon, NC, Jimmy Soul became a preacher at the age of seven and performed gospel as a teenager, becoming known locally as "the Wonder Boy." His talent was noticed by Frank Guida, engineer of the legendary Norfolk sound, and was recruited to record some of the calypso-based songs that Guida had hand-picked for one of his other hit artists, Gary U.S. Bonds. Soul's only two charting hits were both Bonds' cast-offs, 1962's "Twistin' Matilda" and 1963's number one hit "If You Wanna Be Happy." That song, with its upbeat, vibrant Caribbean sound, was a huge success and prompted Soul to try to re-create the success of his hit with some fairly derivative West Indian songs such as "Treat 'Em Tough" and "A Woman Is Smarter in Every Kinda Way," but he failed to chart again and later joined the Army, giving up his career in music. He died of a heart attack on June 25, 1988, at the age of 45.
© Stacia Proefrock /TiVo
Discography
7 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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If You Wanna Be Happy - Single (Remastered)
Pop - Released by Bacci Bros Records on Jan. 1, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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If You Wanna Be Happy (Hi-Fi Remastered)
Rock - Released by Eraphon on Aug. 25, 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
If You Wanna Be Happy
World - Released by TP4 Music on Jan. 6, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Twistin' Matilda (And the Channel) (Billboard Hot 100 - No. 22)
Pop - Released by Music Manager on Dec. 19, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
If You Wanna Be Happy
Pop - Released by JB Production CH on Sep. 21, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
If You Wanna Be Happy
Pop - Released by JB Production CH on Sep. 21, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo