Biography
Roosevelt Jamison, born in Memphis, penned multiple chart successes in 1960s R&B, among them “That’s How Strong My Love Is,” later recorded by Otis Redding, the Rolling Stones, and still others. His efforts helped shape the trajectory of the Goldwax label. While still in high school he earned an art scholarship to a nearby university, yet he set aside higher education and took work as a hospital orderly to provide for his wife and child. Music remained a constant pursuit; as he rose through hospital ranks he began overseeing local gospel ensembles and rehearsing them in the rear of the blood bank he managed. One of those ensembles, the Harmony Echoes, included two future mainstays of Goldwax, O.V. Wright and James Carr. Jamison and Wright began composing together, and their song “That’s How Strong My Love Is” became a hit for both Wright and Otis Redding.
A contractual clash between Peacock and Goldwax led Jamison to step back from guiding Wright and to concentrate instead on his other protégé, James Carr. Carr ranked among the most naturally gifted soul belters of his era, yet he never displayed the temperament required for the stardom his voice implied. Even so, Jamison’s steady pressure on the inherently reserved singer helped Carr land several Goldwax hits, including the legendary “Dark End of The Street.” Jamison stayed loyal to Carr long after Goldwax ceased operations, at one point mortgaging his own house to bankroll a comeback attempt. No such return to prominence has yet occurred for either Carr or Jamison.
A contractual clash between Peacock and Goldwax led Jamison to step back from guiding Wright and to concentrate instead on his other protégé, James Carr. Carr ranked among the most naturally gifted soul belters of his era, yet he never displayed the temperament required for the stardom his voice implied. Even so, Jamison’s steady pressure on the inherently reserved singer helped Carr land several Goldwax hits, including the legendary “Dark End of The Street.” Jamison stayed loyal to Carr long after Goldwax ceased operations, at one point mortgaging his own house to bankroll a comeback attempt. No such return to prominence has yet occurred for either Carr or Jamison.