Gary U.S. Bonds

Biography

Gary U.S. Bonds (born Gary Levone Anderson; June 6, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, known for his hits "New Orleans" and "Quarter to Three".

Career

Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Bonds lived in Norfolk, Virginia, in the 1950s when he began singing publicly in church and with a group called the Turks. He joined record producer Frank Guida's small Legrand Records label where Guida chose Anderson's stage name, U.S. Bonds, in hopes that it would be confused with a public service announcement advertising the sale of government bonds and thereby garner more DJ attention. In the October 24, 1960, edition of Billboard magazine, it states his name is "U.S. (Ullysses Samuel) Bonds". His first three singles and first album, Dance 'Til Quarter to Three, were released under the U.S. Bonds name, but people assumed it was the name of a group. To avoid confusion, subsequent releases, including his second album Twist Up Calypso×Twist Up Calypso1962 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Dear Lady Twist2:34A2Naughty Lil Flea2:16A3Stop the Music2:27A4Mama Look a Boo Boo2:54A5Scratch My Back2:31A6Food of Love2:03B1Twist Twist Senora3:07B2Man Smart - Woman Smarter2:43B3Give Me One More Chance2:14B4Coconut Woman2:17B5Cordelia Brown2:46B6Day-O2:52, were made under the name Gary (U.S.) Bonds. The parentheses were discarded in the 1970s.
"Quarter to Three" sold one million records, earning a gold disc. Subsequent hits, under his modified name, included "School Is Out" (No. 5), "Dear Lady Twist×Dear Lady TwistNovember 1961 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksADear Lady Twist2:24BHavin' So Much Fun2:32" (No. 9), "School Is In" (No. 28) and "Twist, Twist Senora×Twist, Twist SenoraMarch 1962 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksATwist, Twist Senora2:35BFood of Love2:05" (No. 9) in the early 1960s. His hits featured solos by the saxophonist Gene Barge.
"Quarter to Three" appears on The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.
In the early 1980s, Bonds had a career resurgence with two albums, both of them recorded with Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, and the E Street Band. Dedication was released in 1981, and On the Line followed in 1982. The albums spawned several hits including "This Little Girl" (his comeback hit in 1981, which reached No. 11 on the pop chart in Billboard and No. 5 on the mainstream rock chart), "Jolé Blon" and "Out of Work".
Bonds released an album in 2004 called Back in 20×Back in 201 June 2004 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks4:252Murder in the First Degree3:143Take Me Back3:264She Just Wants to Dance3:095Fannie Mae3:406Bitch/Dumb Ass4:067I’ve Got Dreams to Remember4:378Nothing but Blue4:179She Chose to Be My Lady3:3110Too Much, Too Little, Too Late3:4811Every Time I Roll the Dice4:3012Don’t Do It Here3:40, the title referencing his repeated sporadic pop-ups of popularity (his first hits were in the 1960s, then again in the 1980s, and another significant album in the early 2000s, each 20-odd years apart). The album features guest appearances by Springsteen and Southside Johnny.
In 2009, he released a new album, Let Them Talk, and toured the UK as a special guest of Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. In 2010, Bonds contributed duet vocals on the song "Umbrella in My Drink" on Southside Johnny's album Pills and Ammo.
While Bonds is mostly known for achievements within rhythm and blues and rock and roll, some of his songs are equally at home in other genres; for example, "She's All I Got", co-written by Jerry Williams, Jr. (better known as Swamp Dogg), was nominated for the Country Music Association's "Song of the Year" in 1972 when it was a big hit for Johnny Paycheck. (Freddie North also charted his only pop hit with a soul cover of the same song.) Bonds is also a 1997 honoree of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. He is an accomplished golfer and often played in celebrity PGA Tour events.