'I Need Your Loving' - Don Gardner dies

It's been reported that Don Gardner, who shot to fame with Dee Dee Ford on the brilliant Ike and Tina Turner influenced call and response song 'I Need Your Loving' in 1962, has died aged 87. Don

was already a musician in the late 1940s when he formed the Sonotones, which included as one of its members organ maestro Jimmy Smith. When Jimmy left he was replaced by Richard 'Groove' Holmes. After some records on Gotham and DeLuxe, Holmes was himself replaced by Dee Dee Ford and the band came to the attention of Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup who recommended them to Bobby Robinson, owner of the Fire and Fury labels in New York.
'I Need Your Loving' became a big hit and was released in the UK on Stateside, as was the follow up 'Don't You Worry', which was also a fair sized hit in the US. After one more record Don and Dee Dee split with Bobby Robinson and eventually, after the death of his wife and a tour of Sweden, Don and Dee Dee split up. He came back in 1970 with a duet with Baby Washington on the Holland/Dozier song 'Forever' on the People label. Later, Don was a prominent
figure in Philadelphia's jazz scene.
https://youtu.be/rI3WwIK7qUA
I will be off on my next US road trip in a few weeks but unfortunately will not be able to attend my Boston friend Noah Shaffer's birthday bash which stars Willie Hightower and Thelma Jones. Should be one hell of a night! Here's Noah with Willie at Porretta in 2017.