Bernice Williams
{{short description|American songwriter}}
Bernice Williams is an American songwriter and music business manager, who wrote the 1960s song "Duke of Earl"{{cite book|last=Pruter|first=Robert|title=Chicago Soul|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2kkcmS0AzMEC&pg=PA58|accessdate=15 August 2011|year=1992|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=978-0-252-06259-9|pages=58–}}{{Cite web|last=Langer|first=Adam|title=Music People: nothing has stopped the Duke of Earl|url=https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/music-people-nothing-has-stopped-the-duke-of-earl/Content?oid=877973|access-date=2020-10-27|website=Chicago Reader|date=25 July 1991 |language=en}} along with Gene Chandler and Earl Edwards.{{cite web|author=Richie Unterberger|author-link=Richie Unterberger|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/duke-of-earl-mt0050778278 |title=Duke of Earl - Gene Chandler | Song Info |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2016-10-04}} The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002 and is in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll.{{Cite web|title=Duke of Earl Lyrics|url=https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/1593992|access-date=2020-10-27|website=Lyrics.com|language=en}} In the 1960s, she wrote three Billboard Hot 100 hit songs.
Career
Chandler was discovered by Williams. Under her professional guidance, Chandler was introduced to agent Bill Sheppard, and Sheppard found a slot for Chandler as the lead singer with a doo-wop group called the Dukays.{{Cite web|date=2020-01-13|title=Today in Rock & Roll History: January 13th|url=https://www.wwcfradio.org/today-in-rock-roll-history-january-13th/|access-date=2020-10-27|website=Wwcfradio.org|language=en-US}} Their track, "Night Owl" (also known as "Nite Owl"), was released on Nat Records,{{cite web|author=Andrew Hamilton |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-dukays-mn0000785533 |title=The Dukays | Biography & History |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2016-10-04}} and it entered the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 73 in February 1962. "Duke of Earl" appeared as a single in November 1961, with a song called "Kissin' In The Kitchen" (also written by Bernice Williams) on the B-side. "Duke of Earl" was a major hit, with one million copies sold by the end of the calendar year; the song topped both the U.S. pop and R&B charts in February 1962.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j06dhDdsgioC&q=Dukays+Williams&pg=PA211 |author=Robert Pruter|title=Doowop: The Chicago Scene |publisher=University of Illinois Press |date=1996 |pages=211–213|isbn=9780252065064}}{{cite web|url=http://www.genechandler.com/index2.html |title=Gene Chandler - *The Official Website* |publisher=Gene Chandler |date= |accessdate=2014-06-29}}
Williams was also responsible for the discovery of The Starlets, an American girl group from Chicago, Illinois. The group came together in 1961, and auditioned for Williams. She wrote them "Better Tell Him No",{{Cite web|title=The Dukays {{!}} Way Back Attack|url=https://www.waybackattack.com/dukays.html|access-date=2020-10-27|website=Waybackattack.com}} which was released on Pam Records that year. The record peaked at number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-starlets-mn0001848001 |title=The Starlets | Biography & History |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2016-10-04}}{{cite book|author=Joel Whitburn|author-link=Joel Whitburn|title=The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits|edition=9th|date=2000|publisher=Billboard Books|isbn=978-0823085545}}
Tiny Topsy was believed to be an alias used by Williams (who wrote Tiny Topsy's track, "Western Rock 'N' Roll") for some time, although pop historians now discount the idea.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tiny-topsy-mn0001894607 |title=Tiny Topsy | Biography & History |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2016-10-04}}
Williams has written over 200 songs.{{Cite web|title=Bernice Williams|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/687956-Bernice-Williams|access-date=2020-10-27|website=Discogs.com|language=en}}
Family
She lives in Chicago with her daughter, and continues to write music.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8013102.stm "Poverty hits African Americans hard", 23 April 2009] at News.bbc.co.uk
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Category:American women songwriters