Monday, November 04, 2019

Johnny Adams: his widow writes

I've had an email from Judy Adams, widow of Johnny Adams, responding to my review of her biography of her husband that I wrote over seven years ago (June 16, 2012, if anyone wants to check it out). In her book, The Johnny Adams Story, Judy complained that her husband, who in the opinion of many people, including me, was one of the greatest soul singers of all time, was cheated by record label owners and did not get the respect he deserved.
Judy is still angry. In her email she wrote: 'Johnny's music was internationally known years before he signed with Rounder Records. You claim Rounder Records gave Johnny stardom! If this is true then why did Rounder Records never submit Johnny for a Grammy nomination? Oh, by the way, none of Johnny's record labels ever submitted him for a Grammy nomination. Maybe that's why I was angry when I wrote Johnny's biography book. Maybe his record companies were only interested in selling his records and paying him a few pennies for record sales while they capitalised off his records, making several dollars off of each record sold. When Johnny died our daughter was only seven years old. We no longer had my husband's performing income and had a small child to provide for. Record royalties paid a few hundred dollars a year. You can't provide for a household and child with that.
Nick. with all due respect to you, Johnny's record companies and his fans don't know what this widow has been through without my husband. My book is a true story. Johnny's last words while dying in my arms made me promise to tell his story to the world. And I did.
Nick instead of pointing out my writing typos in my book and giving Rounder Records credit for Johnny's musical career, you should write about the non-Grammy submissions, and the last 15 years when Johnny's record producer Scott Billington didn't submit any of Johnny's records or albums for a Grammy nomination. Write about how several of the record labels continue to re-release Johnny's records using his image, releasing his records in the UK and around the world without contacting me before they release the records. Write about how the older African American musicians were caught up in the record signing Jim Crow era. Write about how the record companies made financial gains off of uneducated African American musicians. 
Tell how musicians' widows struggle to survive when their spouse dies and only receive a few pence of a record sale, only 6 or 7 cents. Nick, if you really love Johnny's music reach out to the record company and get all your friends and readers to give Johnny Adams the recognition he deserves by getting him nominated for a Grammy.'
Judy, you make your points clearly and with true sincerity and I sympathise. I am happy to pass them on to readers of the Vinyl Word and maybe that Grammy will eventually come. Thanks for your email.

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