The “Golden Hits Of The 60s” 

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JIMMY HUGHES

“STEAL AWAY”

(JIMMY HUGHES)

Fame 6401

No. 17    August 15, 1964

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Not everyone who has a hit, becomes a star, and makes money wants to remain in the limelight.  “I enjoyed

performing, but I missed my family,” Jinimy told Peter Guratnick in Sweet Soul Music.   “When I quit, I

didn’t miss it one bit.”    After eight years of singing, recording, touring, and touring yet some more, Jimmy

walked away from the entertainment game.    What he has been doing to make a living since is not known,

but most likely, he still sings Sundays in his church choir.

 

Jimmy Hughes was born in Florence, Alabama.   From early on, he sang of God and His glory.   By the age

of eight, he was the lead singer in his choir.    For years, he sang in various gospel groups, most notably the

Singing Clouds, a group that often made local radio appearances.   In 1962, while Hughes was working at

the Robbins Rubber Company plant in nearby Leighton, a friend convinced him to drop by Rick Hall’s

Wilson Dam studio and audition on some sinful secular songs.

 

Hall, who had just produced ARTHUR ALEXANDER’s “You Better Move On” (#24, 1962), taped several of

Hughes’ tunes and soon managed to lease “I’m Qualified” to the Philly-based  Jamie/Guyden vinyl-pushers.

Hall had the gut feeling that Jimmy could have a hit with “Steal Away,” a dank, adulterous piece of business

that Jimmy had written.   After several labels declined to release the track, Hall decided to set up his own

label, Fame.

 

Hall was right on the money–“Steal Away” was to become a solid Southern-soul single. “Try Me” (#65,

1964), “Neighbor, Neighbor” (#65,  1 966), and “Why Not Tonight” (#90, 1967) all climbed on the pop

charts.   Still other singles clicked with the R & B audiences.   But by the end of the ’60s, Jimmy Hughes

was burnt out on the whole scene, and walked away from it all, never to return.