Ed Townsend

Edward Benjamin Townsend (April 16, 1929

Biography Townsend was born in Fayetteville, Tennessee, United States, in 1929, and his family soon moved to Memphis, where his father was pastor at an African Methodist Episcopal church.

The year Townsend graduated from high school, he was elected to the International American Methodist Episcopal Youth Council (IAMEYC) and traveled worldwide before enrolling in college the next year at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (formerly Arkansas AM&N College). After graduating, he taught for a year. Although he never formally practiced law, he frequently used his law training to assist other entertainers in negotiating their recording and performance contracts.

In 1951, Townsend joined the United States Marine Corps and served in Korea.

Townsend performed on the PBS television special "Rock, Rhythm, and Doo Wop" filmed at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 16 and 17, 2000. DVDs of the event were sold as fundraisers for PBS stations nationwide.

He died of a heart attack on August 13, 2003. Honored with a Purple Heart in the Korean War, Townsend is buried at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.

Ed's son David Townsend, of the band Surface, died at age fifty in 2005.

Discography Albums YearAlbumRecord label 1959 Glad to Be Here Capitol Records New in Town 1975 Now Curtom Records 1979 Townsend, Townsend, Townsend & Rogers (with Townsend, Townsend, Townsend & Rogers) Chocolate City Records

Singles YearTitlePeak chartpositionsRecord LabelB-sideAlbum US USR&B 1957 "Love Never Dies" — — Aladdin Records "Every Night" "My Need for You" — — Dot Records "Tall Grows the Sycamore" 1958 "For Your Love" 13 7 Capitol Records "Over and Over Again" "A Wo-Man's In-Tu-It-Ion" — — Carlton Records "In a Bordertown Cathedral" "What Shall I Do?" — — Capitol Records "Please Never Change" "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" 59 — "You Are My Everything" "Getting by Without You" — — "Richer Than I" 1959 "Lover Came Back To Me" — — "Don't Ever Leave Me" New in Town "This Little Love of Mine" — — "Hold On" "Be My Love" — — "With No One to Love" 1960 "Stay with Me(A Little While Longer)" 101 — Warner Bros.Records "I Love Everything About You" 1961 "Dream World" — — "Cherrigale" "And Then Came Love" 114 — Challenge Records "Little Bitty Dave" 1962 "You Walked In" — — "I Love to Hear That Beat" "Tell Her" — — Liberty Records "Down Home" 1963 "That's What I Get for Loving You" — — "There's No End" 1964 "Crying" — — KT Records "Get Myself Together" "I Love You" — — Maxx Records "I Might Like It" 1966 "I Want to Be with You" — — Tru-Glo-TownRecords "Don't Lead Me On" 1967 "Who Would Deny Me" — — MGM Records "Mommy's Never Comin' Back Again" 1977 "If a Peanut Farmer Can Do It(So Can I)" — — EGA Records "Take a Vow for Peace"

Filmography Townsend served as composer for: The Ultimate Thrill (1974)