Search - Billy Stewart :: The Best of Billy Stewart: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection

HUGE Talent Gone Way Too Soon

I. Gross Georg | Edmond, Oklahoma USA | 12/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This self-proclaimed "fat boy" was one of the most under-appreciated R&B singers of the late sixties or even the 20th century. Black radio played him a lot, and I remember as a little kid hearing a lot of these songs on the radio. That having been said, I remember giggling gleefully to the "bbbrrrrrrrrrr" and other vocal embellishments that were trademarks of the Billy Stewart sound. Hearing these songs again, I still have to laugh at some of it. My laughter is not the disparaging kind, though...Billy Stewart was no joke. He could write songs on the fly, which tells me this man had real talent that was only just coming to light in the late 60's. Billy Stewart's songs were meant, I think, to be fun, to make people smile. People certainly smiled at Billy Stewart; I mean, you just had to once you got a look at him! Whether he actually minded that people did so I'll leave for someone else to speculate. I used to wonder whether "Sitting in the Park" wasn't actually "Sitting In A Bar", and they changed the title to accommodate the censors. To me, this is what he is clearly saying; Billy's soul-scat was intense, but his diction was perfect...enunciation was not a problem with this man.Billy Stewart was a cousin to the Ruffin brothers Jimmy and David, known for their work with the Temptations and other Motown acts. He grew up with Marvin Gaye as well, and they were once in a band together. Soul-net.co.uk and Soulwalking.com, both British outfits, are the only sites I've seen that give an extensive biography of this 300 lb. talent. Once again it seems that the British have a better appreciation of our artists than we ourselves do.I have to mention that regarding his biggest hit, "Summertime", the last song on the CD, I was totally blown away by the version they have on this CD which I had never, ever heard before. 4 minutes long, with a sax solo, it is a stone cold jam that left my mouth wide open. I have the 2-minute single version, which before now was the only version I had ever heard these last 30 years or so. This cut is EXCELLENT.I miss this man. Had he and his band not been killed in a car wreck in 1970, who knows where he'd be today. As one might imagine, because of his size he had health problems, so it could be that he was not destined to stay long on this earth in either case. I don't think the music world knows enough about this unique talent, and I'm extremely happy that somebody somewhere recognized Billy Stewart enough to re-release his better recordings on CD. My only beef is that surely, there must have been some recordings that were never released that could have been included on the CD to make it a more complete collection, and not merely a greatest-hits package. I'm also appreciative of the comprehensive liner notes, that give those of us who still remember him some insight into his recording career, although I will say that the two aforementioned websites offer even more information. I think that ultimately a posthumous nomination into the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame would be a wonderful tribute to Billy Stewart. It won't do Billy any good now, but it may help to ensure that one of the great rhythm and blues pioneers is not forgotten.I recommend this disc very highly both to people who have never heard of Billy Stewart and want to get a taste of some real classic soul, as well as to those who do remember this gentle giant and wonder what became of him. To people like me, who fall into the latter category, it's a bittersweet but long overdue trip to yesteryear."

Good-gosh-a-mighty-chile-i-said-a-right-now

Uncle Steven | Pikesville, Maryland USA | 01/23/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"DC's own Billy Stewart was one who was doin it for Chess Records, I heard that he won a talent contest in DC @ the legendary Howard Theatre in 1955 which won him a contract. Of course his biggest two hits "I do love you", and "Sittin in the Park" was both covered by the 70's band GQ. One of my favorites "How Nice It Iz" is not on this Cd. Billy had a style like no other. Everytime I hear these songs, I can remember being a child in the early 60's. ( I did go see Billy @ the Howard in 1962. I recommend this cd to all R&B fans all over the world."

Became a Billy Stewart Fan with this CD

Doug | 03/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I purchased this to get a good copy of "Sitting in the Park". After listening to the CD I became a Billy Stewart fan. The recording quality is excellent. The long version of "Summertime" is amazing and far better than the version played on the radio. I agree with previous reviewer, a HUGE talent gone way too soon."