Artist page

Len Wade, hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, was recognized in the music industry for his powerful voice, which some described as 'too black'. While still in high school, he was already fronting his own band, The Len Wade Band, and playing bass. After graduating, he joined The Tikis, a band in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, founded by drummer and road manager Billy Self. The band also featured Clyde Masters on bass, Phil Scott on trumpet, and Hayes Hopper on saxophone, with Wade taking on vocals and piano. They became the house band at Club Lido and recorded for Finley Duncan's Minaret label before moving to the Dial label in 1966, where Buddy Killen considered recording Wade as a solo artist. Unfortunately, his work at Dial did not gain traction, and after a stint with UA that left him feeling directionless, Wade relocated to Louisville, Kentucky, to study music at Bellarmine College. In the 1980s, he attempted a comeback with a deal at Mercury-Polygram but ultimately walked away from the music industry, feeling uncomfortable with the image the label promoted.

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