b. Eugene Booker McDaniels, 12 February 1935, Kansas City, Kansas, USA. McDaniels began singing in church as a tiny child and by the age of 11 was a member of a gospel quartet. This was in Omaha, Nebraska, where he was raised and also studied at the Omaha Conservatory of Music. The quartet tried out in New York City where McDaniels was recognized as the pre-eminent singer in the group. In 1954, he relocated to Los Angeles where he swiftly built a reputation singing in jazz clubs. He performed with many noted artists, among them Les McCann, Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane and Miles Davis. Signed by Liberty Records, he had a US Top 5 hit in 1961 with "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay" which was followed by another Top 5 single "Tower Of Strength", and "Chip Chip", "Point Of No Return", and "Spanish Lace", all of which made the charts in the USA. He toured Australia with Dizzy Gillespie and Sarah Vaughan but was becoming dissatisfied with the direction his career was being aimed by his recording company. When his contract ended he went back to New York where he worked with yet more important jazz musicians, such as Herbie Hancock. In 1967, McDaniels went to Europe, remaining there for two years during which time he honed his talents as a songwriter.

Listen to Gene McDaniels at Finetune.

• (2008)  Best Of Gene McDaniels

• Tower of Strength
• A Hundred Pounds Of Clay (1995 Digital Remaster)
• Chip Chip (1995 Digital Remaster)
• Tower Of Strength (1995 Digital Remaster)
• Another Tear Falls (1995 Digital Remaster)

• Bobby Darin
• Elvis Presley
• Brenda Lee
• Dion
• Oscar Brown Jr.
• Oscar Brown, Jr.
• The Everly Brothers
• Del Shannon
• The Drifters
• Gene Pitney
• Dusty Springfield
• Roy Orbison
• Crests
• The Shirelles
• Johnny Preston
• Ben E. King
• Bobby Vee
• Four Tops
• Gene Chandler
• Fats Domino

• esbeide
• lucianoguerrero