Herbie Goins

Hubert Leroy "Herbie" Goins (February 21, 1939 – October 27, 2015) was an American rhythm & blues singer. He worked mainly in England in the 1960s, notably with Alexis Korner and then as the leader of Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers (or Nightimers). He later continued his career based in Sezze, Italy.

Life and career He was born and grew up in Ocala, Florida, and sang in his local church as a child before forming his first blues group, The Teen Kings. He later moved to New York City and continued his singing career, opening for such acts as B. B. King, Bobby Bland and Sam Cooke. He was drafted in the late 1950s and served as a GI in the medical corps in Germany, with Edwin Starr. After leaving the US Army and joining the band led by Eric Delaney, with whom he travelled to England. Goins then joined the Chris Barber Band for a time, before, in late 1963, becoming the featured singer in Alexis Korner's band, Blues Incorporated. In February 1964, he sang on the Blues Incorporated album Live At The Cavern, and later in the year on their album Red Hot From Alex,

In 1965, Goins left Korner to front another band, the Nightimers (or, sometimes, Night-Timers) who had originally formed in July 1964, after their singer Ronnie Jones left. The group quickly gained a reputation, especially among Mods, as one of the hottest R&B bands in the UK. Band members included Mick Eve (tenor saxophone) (born Michael Eve, 21 December 1937, Walthamstow, North East London), Mike Carr (keyboards), Harry Beckett (trumpet), David Price (bass), Bill Stephens (drums), and Speedy Acquaye (congas). In 1966, Herbie Goins and the Night-Timers recorded "No. 1 In Your Heart",

Goins then worked in Italy as a songwriter and record producer, and in television. He released several funk records in Italy in the 1980s, including "You Don't Love Me" (credited as "Herbie") and "Scrap Rap" in 1983, "Hold On" (1984), and "I Feel Good" (1986). He also collaborated with Italian blues guitarist Guido Toffoletti on several albums. He resumed performing in the late 1980s, leading the Herbie Goins Soul Band, mainly at festivals in Europe but also in the US and Britain, and also occasionally reunited for shows with Barber and Heckstall-Smith.

He died in Italy on October 27, 2015, aged 76.

Legacy Many of Goins' 1960s recordings were reissued on the Zonophone CD No. 1 In Your Heart in 2008.