Joe Simon

Joseph Simon (September 7, 1936 – December 13, 2021) was an American soul and R&B musician. He began as a gospel artist singing with the Golden West Singers in the Bay Area in California. A consistent presence on the US charts between 1964 and 1981, Simon charted 51 U.S. Pop and R&B chart hits between 1964 and 1981, including eight times in the US top forty, 38 times in the top 40 of the US R&B chart, with 13 chart hits in Canada. His biggest hits included three number one entries on the US Billboard R&B chart: "The Chokin' Kind", "Power of Love" (1972), and "Get Down, Get Down (Get on the Floor)" (1975). In 2021, he was one of the 60 nominees for the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

Career Simon was born in Simmesport, Louisiana, United States. There Simon joined the Golden West Gospel Singers and became influenced by Sam Cooke and Arthur Prysock. With this, the group decided to turn secular and recorded "Little Island Girl" as the Golden Tones in 1959.

Hush Records label owners Gary and Carla Thompson urged Simon to record on his own, and in 1964 Simon scored a minor hit on the Vee-Jay label with "My Adorable One".

Simon caught the eye of Nashville, Tennessee, R&B disc jockey John Richbourg during this time,

Simon continued to release R&B hits with "Pool of Bad Luck", "Trouble in My Home", "Step By Step" (his only UK success), Simon began evangelical preaching in Flossmoor, Illinois. In 1983, he produced the album Lay My Burden Down for former Davis Sisters second lead Jackie Verdell. Simon briefly returned to secular music in 1985 for his Mr. Right album, though none of its singles charted. He went on to release a gospel album titled This Story Must Be Told in the late 1990s.

In 1999, Simon was inducted as a Pioneer Award honoree by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. He died on December 13, 2021. Sources gave his age as 85, in contrast to sources during his lifetime that had indicated a later year of birth. Simon's wife Melanie informed the Journal of Gospel Music of his death: "Joe had been ill for some time and spent his final night at home with her, even talking about going back into the studio. He died of breathing problems in an ambulance on his way to hospital. His funeral is planned for 22nd December."

Discography Studio albums Year Album Peak chart positions Record label US USR&B CAN UK 1960 "It's a Miracle" — — — — — 1961 "Call My Name" — — — — — "The Pledge" — — — — — "Troubles" — — — — — 1962 "I Keep Remembering " — — — — — 1963 "Just Like Yesterday" — — — — — 1964 "My Adorable One" 102 8 — — — 1965 "When I'm Gone" — — — — — "Let's Do It Over" — 13 — — — 1966 "A Teenager's Prayer " 66 11 — 72 — "Too Many Teardrops" — — — — — 1967 "My Special Prayer" 87 17 — — — "Put Your Trust in Me (Depend on Me)" 129 47 — — — "Nine Pound Steel" 70 19 — 79 — 1968 "No Sad Songs" 49 22 — — — "(You Keep Me) Hangin' On" 25 11 — 48 — "Message from Maria" 75 31 — 83 — "I Worry About You" 98 — — — — "Looking Back" 70 42 — — — 1969 "The Chokin' Kind" 13 1 — 17 — "Baby, Don't Be Looking in My Mind" 72 16 — 48 — "San Francisco Is a Lonely Town" 79 29 — — — "It's Hard to Get Along" 87 26 — 86 — "Moon Walk" 54 11 — 27 — 1970 "Farther on Down the Road" 56 7 — 66 — "Yours Love" 78 10 — — — "That's The Way I Want Our Love" 93 27 — — — "Your Time to Cry" 40 3 — 39 — 1971 "Help Me Make It Through the Night" 69 13 — — — "To Lay Down Beside You" 117 — — — — "You're The One For Me" 71 12 — — — "All My Hard Times" 93 19 — — — "Georgia Blue" — — — — "Drowning in the Sea of Love" 11 3 95 50 — 1972 "Pool of Bad Luck" 42 13 — — — "Power of Love" 11 1 — — — "Misty Blue" 91 47 — — — "Trouble in My Home" 50 5 — — — "I Found My Dad" 78 15 — — — 1973 "Step by Step" 37 6 — 73 14 "Theme From Cleopatra Jones" 18 3 — — — "River" 62 6 — — — 1974 "Carry Me" — 12 — — — "Who's Julie" — — — — — "The Best Time of My Life" — 15 — — — "Someone to Lean On" — — — — — 1975 "Get Down, Get Down (Get on the Floor)" 8 1 — 15 — "Music in My Bones" 92 7 — — — "I Need You, You Need Me" — 5 — 98 — 1976 "Come Get to This" 102 22 — — — "Funny How Time Slips Away" — — — — — "Easy to Love" — 12 — — — 1977 "You Didn't Have to Play No Games" — 62 — — — "One Step at a Time" — 28 — — — "For Your Love, Love, Love" — 27 — — — 1978 "I.O.U." — 71 — — — "Love Vibration" — 15 — — — 1979 "Going Through These Changes" — 78 — — — "I Wanna Taste Your Love" — 87 — — — 1980 "Hooked on Disco Music" — — — — — "Baby, When Love Is in Your Heart (It's in Your Eyes)" — 60 — — — "Glad You Came My Way" — 43 — — — 1981 "Are We Breaking Up" — 52 — — — "Magnolia" — — — — — "You Give Life to Me" (With Clare Bathe) — — — — — 1982 "Go Sam" — — — — — "It's Be's That Way Sometime" — — — — — 1985 "It Turns Me Inside Out" — — — — — "Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now" — — — — — 1988 "Lord It's True, I Do Love You" — — — — — "The Lord's Prayer" — — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. From November 30, 1963, to January 23, 1965, Billboard Magazine did not publish a Hot R&B songs chart. The peak positions for R&B singles listed during this period are from Cash Box Magazine R&B songs chart.