Biography

J. R. had been a member of doo wop groups The Halos

The Halos

The Halos were an American doo wop group from The Bronx.The group formed with members Al Cleveland, J.R. Bailey, Harold Johnson, and Arthur Crier . Phil Johnson replaced J.R. Bailey shortly after the recording of "Nag". .The group got its start as session musicians, backing up vocalists recorded by...

, The Cadillacs

The Cadillacs

The Cadillacs were an American rock and roll and doo-wop group from Harlem, New York; active from 1953 to 1962. The group was noted for their 1955 hit "Speedoo", which was instrumental in attracting White audiences to Black rock and roll performers.-History:...

, and The Crickets (not Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly

Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...

's Crickets), and also recorded as a solo artist. He also wrote several hit songs for other artists including "Everybody Plays the Fool

Everybody Plays the Fool

"Everybody Plays the Fool" is the title of a popular song written by J.R. Bailey, Rudy Clark and Ken Williams. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category Best R&B Song at the 1973 ceremony....

" by The Main Ingredient, "Sweet Music, Soft Lights And You" by Isaac Hayes

Isaac Hayes

Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...

 & Millie Jackson

Millie Jackson

Mildred "Millie" Jackson is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter and comedienne. Three of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA for over 500,000 copies....

, "Love, Love, Love" by Donny Hathaway

Donny Hathaway

Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...

, and "Just Me And You" by Erasmus Hall. He also co-wrote songs with New York singer Vernon Harrell

Vernon Harrell

-Biography:Harrell was from New York and released several singles in the 1960s and 1970s. He also goes by the name Keidar Syenon Harrell. He co-wrote songs with J. R. Bailey...

 (who had performed with The Coasters

The Coasters

The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...

). "Soul Shing-A-Ling" and "Seven Days Too Long" by Chuck Wood in 1966, and "Sweet, Sweet Lovin'" by The Platters

The Platters

The Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...

 in 1967 were among songs written by Bailey and Harrell. The pair also co-wrote Harrell's release "Do It To It" in 1969 on Calla Records with J. Robinson. His song "Let Me Prove My Love to You", which was originally performed by The Main Ingredient, was sampled for Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys

Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...

' 2003 single "You Don't Know My Name

You Don't Know My Name

"You Don't Know My Name" is a song by American recording artist Alicia Keys from her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys. Written by Keys, Kanye West, and Harold Lilly and produced by Keys and West, the track was released as the album's lead single in November 2003, and contains a sample...

".

He began his solo career in 1968. Bailey released a record on Calla Records that year called "Love Won't Wear Off." It was written and produced by Billy Guy

Billy Guy

-Biography:Billy Guy is best known as a member of The Coasters, singing lead on such hits as "Searchin'," "Little Egypt," "Run Red Run," "Wait A Minute," among others. Before Guy joined The Coasters in 1955, he was part of a comedy singing duo called "Bip and Bop." One single called "Ding Ding...

 of The Coasters

The Coasters

The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...

. Bailey and Billy Guy had a record company called GuyJim Records.

Albums

• Rockin' Rollin' And Strollin' (Capitol #965) (1958)
• Just Me N' You (MAM #5011) (1974)
• Love And Conversation (United Artists #815) (1977)

External links

• Soulwalking - J. R. Bailey
• [ Allmusic]