Artist page

Billy Stewart was an American pop, soul, and rhythm & blues singer, drummer, pianist, and songwriter, born on March 24, 1937, in Washington, D.C. He passed away in a car accident on January 17, 1970, in Neuse River, Smithfield, North Carolina. In the early 1960s, Stewart collaborated with A&R man Billy Davis, recording songs such as “Fat Boy,” “Reap What You Sow,” and “Strange Feeling,” all of which made the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the Top 30 on the R&B charts. In 1965, he returned to Chess Records, where he developed his unique word-doubling singing technique. His song “I Do Love You” reached #6 on the R&B chart and #26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Later that year, he recorded “Sitting in the Park,” which hit #4 on the R&B chart and #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1966, Stewart arranged a favorite aria from Gershwin’s opera, Porgy and Bess, titled “Summertime.” His exceptional music theory skills and extraordinary cadenza scatting brought excitement to this composition, which reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over 700,000 records. Throughout his career, Stewart worked with The Stewart Gospel Singers, The Marquees, and The Rainbows.

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