Adam Wade (singer)
| Adam Wade | |
|---|---|
.png) Adam Wade in 1964 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Patrick Henry Wade |
| Born |
March 17, 1935[1][2] Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Genres |
Easy listening Traditional pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, drummer, actor |
| Instruments |
Vocals Drums |
| Years active | 1959–present |
| Labels | Coed, Kirschner, Epic |
Adam Wade (born Patrick Henry Wade,[3] March 17, 1935) is an American singer, drummer and television actor. He is noted for his stint as the host of the 1975 CBS game show Musical Chairs, which made him the first African-American game show host.
Early career
Wade worked for a time as a lab assistant with Dr. Jonas Salk on the polio research team. He wanted to pursue a recording career and signed with Coed Records in late 1959. He had his first hit (#58) with a song called "Ruby" in early 1960, a cover of the hit movie song of 1953. Wade was popular in the early 1960s with vocal styling similar to that of Johnny Mathis.[4] In 1961 three of Wade's recordings ("Take Good Care of Her" (#7), "As If I Didn't Know" (#10) and "The Writing on the Wall" (#5) made the Top Ten in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. These songs also made the Top Five of Billboard's Easy Listening (later Adult Contemporary) survey.
He released the following albums in the United Kingdom: 1961 Adam and Evening, HMV CLP 1451, Adam Wade One Is A Lonely Number, mono Columbia 33SX1501, stereo Columbia SCX3474, both 1962. He also released an EP in 1960, And Then Came Adam, HMV 7EG 8620.
"Take Good Care of Her" reached #38 in the UK Singles Chart in June 1961.[5]
In 1975, Wade become the first African-American to host a television game show, with the premiere of Musical Chairs. He starred in the production Guys and Dolls in 1978, and hosted the talk show Mid-Morning LA. On TV he was seen in the soap operas The Guiding Light and Search for Tomorrow, and was a familiar presence on such popular black-oriented sitcoms as Sanford & Son, The Jeffersons, What's Happening!! and Good Times. His handsome face lit up the room and allowed his natural mannerism to take over the scene.
1970 to the present
In the late 1970s and early 1980s Wade began to concentrate on acting, and appeared in several of the so-called blaxploitation movies, including Gordon's War. He briefly returned to recording, producing a self-titled album on the Kirschner record label, which was distributed by Columbia Records. This was a venture into a more soulful singing genre. It met with moderate success but is still a favorite with his loyal fans. He appeared in one episode of The Dukes of Hazzard as mobile dentist Dr. Homer Willis, DDS (Season 2 Episode 2, "Gold Fever"). His latest theatrical appearance was with the 2008 touring company of the play The Color Purple. Wade and his wife have a music production firm, Songbird, whose headquarters are in New Jersey.
Personal life
Wade was married 1956–1973 to Kay Wade, with whom he had 3 children:
- Sheldon (1956) – now known as Ramel Wade
- Patrice (1957) – now known as Patrice Wade Johnson
- Michael (1960) – now known as Jamel Wade
Wade has been married since 1989 to Jeree Wade, an entertainer. They often perform together. Wade revealed in an interview that he actually met her on Musical Chairs.[3]
Singles
| Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated |
Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US AC | US R&B | |||
| 1960 | "Tell Her For Me" b/w "Don't Cry My Love" (Non-album track) |
66 | — | — | And Then Came Adam |
| "Ruby" b/w "Too Far" (Non-album track) |
58 | — | — | ||
| "I Can't Help It" b/w "I Had The Craziest Dream" (from And Then Came Adam) |
64 | — | — | Adam Wade's Greatest Hits | |
| "Speaking Of Her" b/w "Blackout The Moon" (Non-album track) |
— | — | — | ||
| "In Pursuit Of Happiness" b/w "For The Want Of Your Love" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Gloria's Theme" b/w "Dreamy" |
74 | — | — | Adam and Evening | |
| 1961 | "Take Good Care Of Her" Original B-side: "Sleepy Time Gal" (from Adam and Evening) Later B-side: "Too Far" (Non-album track) |
7 | — | 20 | Adam Wade's Greatest Hits |
| "The Writing On The Wall" / | 5 | 5 | 20 | ||
| "Point Of No Return" | 85 | — | — | Non-album track | |
| "As If I Didn't Know" b/w "Playin' Around" (Non-album track) |
10 | 4 | 16 | Adam Wade's Greatest Hits | |
| "Tonight I Won't Be There" / | 61 | 14 | — | ||
| "Linda" | 94 | — | — | ||
| "Preview Of Paradise" b/w "Cold, Cold Winter" |
108 | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| 1962 | "How Are Things In Lovers Lane" / | 114 | — | — | |
| "It's Good To Have You Back With Me" | 109 | — | — | ||
| "For The First Time In My Life" b/w "Little Miss Lovely" |
118 | — | — | ||
| "I'm Climbin' The Wall" b/w "They Didn't Believe Me" |
— | — | — | ||
| "There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight" b/w "Here Comes The Pain" (Non-album track) |
104 | — | — | What Kind Of Fool Am I | |
| 1963 | "Don't Let Me Cross Over" b/w "Rain From The Skies" |
117 | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| "Teenage Mona Lisa" b/w "Why Do We Have To Wait So Long" |
— | — | — | ||
| "Theme From 'Irma La Douce' (Look Again)" b/w "Let's Make The Most Of A Beautiful Thing" |
— | — | — | ||
| "Does Goodnight Mean Goodbye" b/w "Charade" |
— | — | — | ||
| 1964 | "Seven Loves For Seven Days" b/w "A Whisper Away" |
— | — | — | |
| "When April Smiles At Me" b/w "Pencil and Paper" |
— | — | — | ||
| 1965 | "Crying in the Chapel" b/w "Broken Hearted Stranger" |
88 | 20 | — | |
| "A Lover's Question" b/w "It's Been A Long Time Comin'" |
— | — | — | ||
| "Garden In The Rain" b/w "Play Some Music For Broken Hearts" |
— | — | — | ||
| "The Time For Dreams" b/w "Garden Of Eden" |
— | — | — | ||
| 1966 | "Solitude" b/w "How Can I Leave You" |
— | — | — | |
| "A Man Alone" b/w "Wheels On The Highway" |
— | — | — | ||
| 1967 | "Julie On My Mind" b/w "With One Exception" |
— | — | — | |
| 1968 | "Maybe" b/w "Everyone Is Looking For That Someone" |
— | — | — | |
| "Rome" b/w "Old Devil Moon" |
— | — | — | ||
| 1977 | "Keeping Up With The Joneses" b/w "Russell Never Had A Chance" |
— | — | — | Adam Wade |
| 1989 | "She Don't Want Anything" b/w "There's More To A Man Than Just A Name" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks |
References
- ↑ Brainyhistory.com
- ↑ Thehistorymakers.com Archived October 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- 1 2 IMDb.com
- ↑ Oldies.com
- ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 589. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
External links
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