Sam & Bill

Formed in Newark, New Jersey, the R&B vocal duo Sam And Bill brought together Bill Johnson, born 16 October 1932 in Augusta, Georgia, and Sam Gary, born in Columbus, South Carolina. These two singers stood out as prime examples of a striking early-1960s development within the soul movement, namely the rise of vocal pairs steeped in gospel tradition, among them Sam And Dave, the Righteous Brothers, and Knight Brothers. Johnson had already cut his first sides for Sun Records while performing with the Steps Of Rhythm. Gary, meanwhile, had served as guitarist in the Soul Brothers before the pair joined forces in 1962. Their partnership yielded chart success through deeply soulful reinterpretations of pop ballads, including “For Your Love,” a 1965 remake of Ed Townsend’s 1958 original that reached number 14 on the R&B chart, and “Fly Me To The Moon,” which climbed to number 38 R&B in 1966. When their label JoDa subsequently ceased operations, the original duo disbanded. Johnson then enlisted Sam Davis Jnr., born 10 December 1940 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to fill the role of the second Sam. Recording for Brunswick Records in 1967, this revised lineup failed to achieve commercial traction.