Joe Simon death: Tributes pour in as R&B singer of 'The Chokin' Kind' and 'The Power of Love' fame passes away at 85

Popular singer Joe Simon recently passed away on December 13. Simon was 85 years old at the time of his death.

Joe Simon was mostly known for hits like The Chokin’ Kind in 1969 and Power of Love in 1972. Simon died in his hometown near Chicago. The cause of death is yet to be revealed and further details are awaited from family members.

Singer Bettye LaVette wrote on Facebook that she was shocked to hear the news. She mentioned that one of her best and most popular songs, Your Turn to Cry, was written and recorded by Simon. She ended the post by saying that Simon was one of the nicest guys she ever met in her life.

Life and career of Joe Simon

Born on 2 September 1943, Simon started his musical journey as a Gospel artist with the Golden West Singers in California’s Bay Area.

Simon's was born in Simmesport, Louisiana, and pursued his vocal abilities while his family shifted to Richmond during the late 1950s. He was approached by Hush Records to record a song of his own and he delivered a hit, My Adorable One, in 1964.

Simon then caught the attention of disc jockey John Richbourg who became his manager and record producer. Simon released another hit song Teenager’s Player in 1966 that remained in then 11th position on Billboard's R&B chart. This was followed by more hits in the next two years.

Simon was paired with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff in 1970 and they created the R&B hit Drowning in the Sea of Love in 1971. Simon kept releasing R&B hits like Trouble in My Home, Music in My Bones, Carry Me, and more.

Simon then started his evangelist preaching in Flossmoor, Illinois, and produced the album, Lay My Burden Down, in 1983. He then released a gospel album in 1990, This Story Must Be Told.

Twitter users pay tribute to Joe Simon

Simon has remained a familiar name over the years. The popular artist’s fans expressed their grief on Twitter while paying tribute to him.

Very little information is available on Simon’s personal life. Details relating to his parents and educational background are yet to be revealed.

About the author

Anupal is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda with a degree in Political Science. He developed a keen interest in the lives of celebrities, films, TV shows, and box office collections since an early age. After accumulating significant experience as a content writer across varied fields at companies such as The Indian Wire, DigiStatement, and QuirkyByte Media, he eventually settled on writing about his favorite genre - pop culture.

Anupal believes in conducting in-depth research while writing about any topic and relies on varied sources to ensure he produces holistic articles. He also often glances through content that was published in the 80s and 90s to gain a better understanding of the subject he is covering.

Anupal admires Robert Downey Jr., who played one of his favorite Marvel superheroes, Iron Man. He is inspired by the actor's resilience and the determination in overcoming past struggles to building a successful Hollywood career and admires the way he articulates his thoughts while speaking in interviews.

If Anupal could travel back in time, he would love to experience James Cameron's 2009 film 'Avatar' in a theatre full of fans. When he's not busy working, he binges on the latest OTT titles across languages.

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