// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Don Julian's guitar say? You're a reel musician.
Don Julian | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Meadowlarks The Larks |
| Born | Donald Ray Julian April 7, 1937 |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | November 6, 1998 (aged 61) |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1950s–1998 |
Don Julian (April 7, 1937 – November 6, 1998)[1] was an American rhythm and blues,[2] funk and soul singer, guitarist and songwriter. Most famous for his work as an R&B singer in the 1950s and 1960s, he was also known for composing the soundtrack and songs to the blaxploitation film, Savage!.[3][4]
Career
[edit source]Born Donald Ray Julian in Houston, Texas, United States, in his teens he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he began performing with local bands.[5]
He performed both solo and with backing bands. His most famous backing group was "The Meadowlarks" (later named The Larks), although most of his film music was performed with instrumental funk bands.[6] The Meadowlarks is considered the first integrated doo-wop group.[5] In 1954, Don Julian and the Meadowlarks' debut single "Heaven and Paradise", became popular with R&B fans.[7] In 1964, the single, "The Jerk" was released under the band name, The Larks. The single, released on the Money label, was Julian's only chart hit. It went to number one on both the Billboard R&B chart and the Cash Box R&B chart and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[8]
Julian recorded several solo albums for a variety of record labels in the 1970s.[7]
Julian died on November 6, 1998, from pneumonia, aged 61.[1]
Discography
[edit source]Solo (incomplete)
[edit source]- Savage! (1973) (soundtrack to the film Savage!)
With the Meadowlarks or the Larks
[edit source]- Heaven and Paradise (1955)
- The Jerk (1964)
- Shorty the Pimp (1973) (soundtrack to limited release film starring the band)[7]
- Golden Classics (1990)
Influence
[edit source]A song from the album Savage! titled "Janitizo" was sampled by Warren G, on his song "And Ya Don't Stop" on his debut album, Regulate...G Funk Era.[9] The title track "Shorty the Pimp" was sampled by Too Short as the intro track for his 1992 album Shorty the Pimp.
References
[edit source]- 1 2 "The Dead Rock Stars Club 1998 - 1999". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
- ↑ Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). London, England: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 181. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
- ↑ "Moviegrooves.com". Archived from the original on 2009-05-15. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
- ↑ "Jazz, Soul, Funk, Hip Hop, Brazil, Latin, and more on LP and CD -- Dusty Groove is Chicago's Online Record Store". Dustygroove.com. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
- 1 2 "Don Julian". Soulsounds.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
- ↑ "DON JULIAN soul kaleidoscope, LP released on 1970 on label money". Groovecollector.com. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
- 1 2 3 "Biography by Bryan Thomas". AllMusic. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. p. 340. ISBN 978-0898201604.
- ↑ "Warren G's 'And Ya Don't Stop' sample of Don Julian's 'Janitzio'". Whosampled.com. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1937 births
- 1998 deaths
- American rhythm and blues singers
- American rhythm and blues guitarists
- American male guitarists
- Songwriters from Texas
- Musicians from Houston
- Deaths from pneumonia in California
- 20th-century American guitarists
- Guitarists from Texas
- African-American male songwriters
- African-American guitarists
- 20th-century African-American male singers
- 20th-century American male singers
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century American songwriters