Biography
Singer/songwriter Jo Armstead achieved her greatest commercial success with the release of "Stone Cold Lover." Among her notable songwriting credits are Ray Charles' chart-topping R&B staple "Let's Get Stoned," created alongside Ashford and Simpson, Ruby Andrews' Top Ten R&B standout "Casanova (Your Playing Days Are Over)," and Garland Green's gold-certified "Jealous Kind of Fella." Born Josephine Armstead on October 8, 1944, in Yazoo City, MS, she entered the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in 1961 as a backing vocalist among the Ikettes, whose Atco Records single "I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)" reached number three on the R&B chart in 1962. After settling in New York City, she teamed with staff writers Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson at the publishing division of Scepter/Wand Records.
Further Armstead/Ashford/Simpson compositions included "Too Hot to Hold," "The Shoe Won't Fit," and "The Real Thing" for Betty Everett on VeeJay, while Tina Britt's version of the latter track climbed to number 20 R&B on Eastern in 1965.
Armstead relocated from New York to Chicago in 1967 and launched Giant Productions alongside her husband Mel Collins. Operating from addresses first at 56th and Maryland, later at 81st and Cottage Grove, the company released material on its Giant, Globe, and Gamma labels. Its roster featured Ruby Andrews, Garland Green, Fenton Robinson, Little Jimmy Scott, Shirley Wahls, Smokey Smothers, and Armstead herself under the names Joshie Jo Armstead or Jo Armstead. The imprint's initial success came with Carl Carlton's "Drop by My Place," cut in Detroit under arranger Mike Terry. Hollandale, MS, native Ruby Andrews saw her Zodiac single "Casanova (Your Playing Days Are Over)" peak at number nine R&B during summer 1967. Armstead herself wrote, produced, and performed the Terry-arranged "Stone Cold Lover," which reached number 28 R&B in spring 1968. Giant's only million-selling release proved to be Garland Green's "Jealous Kind of Fella," licensed to MCA's Uni imprint and rising to number five R&B on Billboard in summer 1969. Operations at Giant ceased by 1970. Armstead returned briefly to New York before resettling in Chicago by the late 1980s, where she managed boxer Alonzo Ratliff.
Additional singles she issued encompassed "I've Been Turned On," "There's Not Too Many More," the pairing "I'm Gonna Show You" backed with "I've Been Turned On" or "Never Had It Like This," "This and That" backed with "No Better for Ya," and "Stumblin' Blocks, Steppin' Stones (What Took Me So Long)" under the Joshie Jo Armstead name, plus "Ride out the Storm" on Stax's Gospel Truth subsidiary.
Further Armstead/Ashford/Simpson compositions included "Too Hot to Hold," "The Shoe Won't Fit," and "The Real Thing" for Betty Everett on VeeJay, while Tina Britt's version of the latter track climbed to number 20 R&B on Eastern in 1965.
Armstead relocated from New York to Chicago in 1967 and launched Giant Productions alongside her husband Mel Collins. Operating from addresses first at 56th and Maryland, later at 81st and Cottage Grove, the company released material on its Giant, Globe, and Gamma labels. Its roster featured Ruby Andrews, Garland Green, Fenton Robinson, Little Jimmy Scott, Shirley Wahls, Smokey Smothers, and Armstead herself under the names Joshie Jo Armstead or Jo Armstead. The imprint's initial success came with Carl Carlton's "Drop by My Place," cut in Detroit under arranger Mike Terry. Hollandale, MS, native Ruby Andrews saw her Zodiac single "Casanova (Your Playing Days Are Over)" peak at number nine R&B during summer 1967. Armstead herself wrote, produced, and performed the Terry-arranged "Stone Cold Lover," which reached number 28 R&B in spring 1968. Giant's only million-selling release proved to be Garland Green's "Jealous Kind of Fella," licensed to MCA's Uni imprint and rising to number five R&B on Billboard in summer 1969. Operations at Giant ceased by 1970. Armstead returned briefly to New York before resettling in Chicago by the late 1980s, where she managed boxer Alonzo Ratliff.
Additional singles she issued encompassed "I've Been Turned On," "There's Not Too Many More," the pairing "I'm Gonna Show You" backed with "I've Been Turned On" or "Never Had It Like This," "This and That" backed with "No Better for Ya," and "Stumblin' Blocks, Steppin' Stones (What Took Me So Long)" under the Joshie Jo Armstead name, plus "Ride out the Storm" on Stax's Gospel Truth subsidiary.
Albums
