Biography
Gene & Eddie, an R&B vocal duo hailing from Silver Spring, Maryland, never reached national prominence yet carved out regional popularity throughout the mid-1960s before attracting later interest from collectors of vintage soul obscurities. The act consisted of journeyman vocalists Eugene Alton Dorsett and Eddie Best, Jr., who had been performing separately around Maryland and Washington, D.C., before linking up with the Nightcaps, an R&B-tinged show band directed by guitarists Jeff Rubin and Norman Rich. After the Nightcaps lost their lead singer, the pair stepped in to front the group. Because Gene & Eddie were African-American while the Nightcaps were white, the integrated lineup drew notice among audiences interested in civil rights and integration, which helped land them a booking at a White House party. Their vocal abilities simultaneously lent the band added power and legitimacy, resulting in regular engagements at teen clubs and private events.
Best also wrote songs, so in 1965 he and Dorsett entered the studio with the Nightcaps to cut “It’s So Hard” for Best’s own Tonjo Records label. The single attracted scant attention. In 1967—the same year the duo ended their association with the Nightcaps—they began working with Baltimore-based songwriter, producer, and arranger Joe Quarterman, who performed as Sir Joe and operated Ru-Jac Records. Their first Ru-Jac release that year paired “I Would Cry” with “I’ll Tell You.” Between 1967 and 1971 they issued additional Ru-Jac singles, one of them a new version of “It’s So Hard” that became a local hit, yet Quarterman’s promotional work and the strength of the material never translated into national breakthrough. After the 1971 single “Darling I Love You” b/w “Why Do You Hurt Me,” the partnership dissolved. Best continued producing and singing with other artists, while Dorsett moved into electronics. Omnivore Recordings assembled their Ru-Jac recordings, along with several tracks featuring Sir Joe, for the 2016 anthology True Enough: Gene & Eddie with Sir Joe at Ru-Jac.
Best also wrote songs, so in 1965 he and Dorsett entered the studio with the Nightcaps to cut “It’s So Hard” for Best’s own Tonjo Records label. The single attracted scant attention. In 1967—the same year the duo ended their association with the Nightcaps—they began working with Baltimore-based songwriter, producer, and arranger Joe Quarterman, who performed as Sir Joe and operated Ru-Jac Records. Their first Ru-Jac release that year paired “I Would Cry” with “I’ll Tell You.” Between 1967 and 1971 they issued additional Ru-Jac singles, one of them a new version of “It’s So Hard” that became a local hit, yet Quarterman’s promotional work and the strength of the material never translated into national breakthrough. After the 1971 single “Darling I Love You” b/w “Why Do You Hurt Me,” the partnership dissolved. Best continued producing and singing with other artists, while Dorsett moved into electronics. Omnivore Recordings assembled their Ru-Jac recordings, along with several tracks featuring Sir Joe, for the 2016 anthology True Enough: Gene & Eddie with Sir Joe at Ru-Jac.
Albums