- (This page refers to Jackie Lee, a pseudonym of Earl Nelson. For the Irish singer of the same name, see Jackie Lee(2)).
Earl Lee Nelson (September 8, 1928 – July 12, 2008), who also performed as Jackie Lee, was an American soul singer and songwriter. He started his career in the doo-wop group the Hollywood Flames in the 1950s before founding the R&B duo Bob & Earl with Bobby Byrd (Not to be confused with James Brown collaborator Bobby Byrd). As Jackie Lee, he was best known for his hit song "The Duck".
Earl Lee Nelson was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana on September 8, 1928. He sang in his church's gospel choir in his youth before his family relocated to Los Angeles in 1937. Nelson enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 17, working on the construction of the Panama Canal.
In the 1950s, he began singing doo-wop and joined the Hollywood Flames. He sang lead on the 1957 single "Buzz Buzz Buzz" which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the R&B chart. Nelson and Bobby Byrd, not Bobby Byrd of the Famous Flames, collaborated as Bobby "Baby Face" Byrd & the Birds as well as Bobby Day & the Satellites. In 1957, Nelson released his first solo single, "Oh Gee Oh Golly" / "I Bow To You," on Class Records. That year, Nelson and Byrd released their first single as Bob & Earl, "You Made a Boo-Boo," on Class. In 1958, Nelson sang background vocals on Day's single "Rockin' Robin" (#2 Pop, #1 R&B).Afterwards, they left the Hollywood Flames, but after a few years, Byrd left Bob & Earl to focus on his solo career.
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Links to Peel[]
Peel played his track, 'The Duck', when Earl sang it under the name of Jackie Lee on his radio programmes. On his 06 February 1990 show, Peel mentioned first hearing 'The Duck' when he was driving through Oklahoma City, whilst living in America. The song became a big hit in America, but not so in the UK.
Shows Played[]
- 16 October 1979 (Virgin In-Store): The Duck (single) Lightning
- 28 May 1985 (Andy Kershaw sat in for Peel): Darkest Days (split 7" with Eddie Bishop - Call Me / Darkest Days) Kent
- 06 February 1990: The Duck (v/a album - The Classic Soul Years 1965) Connoisseur Collection
- 02 March 1999: The Duck (v/a LP - Land Of A Thousand Dances) Ace