Chuck Willis

Harold "Chuck" Willis (January 31, 1926 – April 10, 1958) and rock and roll singer and songwriter. His biggest hits, "C. C. Rider" and "What Am I Living For" (1958), both reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart. He was known as 'The King of the Stroll' for his performance of the 1950s dance, the Stroll.

Life and career Willis was born in Atlanta, Georgia,

His most successful recording was "C.C. Rider", which topped the US Billboard R&B chart in 1957 and also crossed over and sold well in the pop market. Jerry Wexler said it was Willis's surprising idea to "do an old standard" instead of one of his own songs. Willis's follow-up was "Betty and Dupree", another "stroll" song and a similar "old standard", which also did well. Wexler said that Dick Clark used "Betty and Dupree" on American Bandstand to accompany "The Stroll," and that is how Willis became known as "King of The Stroll."

Songwriting Willis approached songwriting with painstaking craftsmanship and the result was literate, soulful and melancholy. "What Am I Living For" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. It was also the top R&B disc of 1958.

When Willis died, he owed a lot of money to the US government, because, according to Zenas Sears, "he paid the band out of his own pocket without ever deducting taxes. ... When he died, his wife had the house, she had the fur coats and the Cadillac, but there was no money."

Willis's cousin was Chick Willis.

Discography Singles

Albums

Compilation albums