Don Julian

Don Julian (April 7, 1937 – November 6, 1998) was an American rhythm and blues, funk and soul singer, guitarist and songwriter. Most famous for his work as an R&B singer in the 1950s and 1960s, he was also known for composing the soundtrack and songs to the blaxploitation film, Savage!.

Career Born Donald Ray Julian in Houston, Texas, United States, in his teens he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he began performing with local bands.

He performed both solo and with backing bands. His most famous backing group was "The Meadowlarks" (later named The Larks), although most of his film music was performed with instrumental funk bands. The Meadowlarks is considered the first integrated doo-wop group.

Julian recorded several solo albums for a variety of record labels in the 1970s.

Julian died on November 6, 1998, from pneumonia, aged 61. The title track "Shorty the Pimp" was sampled by Too Short as the intro track for his 1992 album Shorty the Pimp.