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George Kerr (musician)

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George Kerr
BornOcilla, Georgia, United States
GenresSoul R&B
Occupation(s)Musician, producer, arranger
LabelsShout, All Platinum, Harbor Light Records
Member ofThe Serenaders, Imperials, George Kerr and His Orchestra, Blood Brothers, Kerr

George Kerr is a musician and record producer who has worked with a multitude of recording artists during the 1960s and 1970s.

Background

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The artists Kerr has worked with include, Florence Ballard, The Escorts, Linda Jones, The Moments, The O'Jays, and The Whatnauts.[1] George Kerr has been connected with All Platinum Records and Sylvia Robinson. He was also a Motown recording artist[2] As an artist he had a hit with "Hey Girl".[3] He recorded an album for the All Platinum label, If This World Were Mine.[4]

Career as musician

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At some stage in the 1950s, George Kerr formed a group called The Serenaders in Newark, NJ with his friends Sidney Barnes, Howard Curry and Timothy Wilson. Later, Richard Barrett had placed an ad in the paper for auditions for a lead singer for the group, Imperials. Kerr and his friend Sidney Barnes applied for the role. It was Kerr that ended up securing the position. Kerr was the lead singer on "Faithfully Yours" that was released on the Carlton label. In 1962, Kerr left The Imperials and returned to his old group The Serenaders. It wouldn't be long until Kerr had moved into composition and producing.[5]

Career as producer and composer

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Two of Kerr's productions were in 'Billboard's Soul Recommended section for the week ending August 25, 1973. They were "Your Gonna Need Somebody to Love (Wide You're Looking for Someone to Love" by Barbara Jean English and "I Wasn't There" by The Whatnauts.[6]

He produced the single for the New Foundations. The song, "Darling (You're All I Need)", a soul ballad which was released on Atlantic 45-3225. This New Foundations, a group from the United States[7][8] had no connection with the English group, the New Foundations who released "Something for My Baby" / "I Need Your Love" on Pye 45533.[9][10][11]

He produced "Baby (I’m Gonna Love You)" for Phyllis Hyman which was released in 1976.[12]

Along with Rod Armstrong and Marvin Brown, Kerr produced an album that featured the groups, Softones & First Class. The album Together was released on the new label, Park-Way Records in 1980.[13]

His production of the group Kerr and the single "Back At Ya", released on Greyhound GRPT-107 in 1984 had a brief review in James Hamilton's Disco's section of the 17 March 1984 issue of Record Mirror.[14]

References

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