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JACKIE LEE

THE DUCK

(Earl “JACKIE LEE” Nelson, Jr.)

Mirwood 5502

No. 14    January 22, 1966

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Jackie Lee was born Earl Lee Nelson, Jr., on September 8, 1928, in Lake Charles, Louisiana.  He was

raised in California, where he sang in his church’s choir.   On and off again, from 195 7 until their demise

in 1967, Earl sang with THE HOLLYWOOD FLAMES.   That was Earl up front, singing lead on their “Buzz-

Buzz-Buzz” b/w “Crazy.”   That was Earl, recording rock-bottom soul singles with Bobby Relf as half of

Bob & Earl, featured on “Harlem Shuffle” (#44, 1964).   And  that was Earl singing back-up on BOBBY

DAY’S “Rockin’ Robin” b/w “Over And Over” as a member of Day’s Satellites.

Jackie Lee-not to be confused with the Philly-based Jackie Lee who charted in 1959 with “Happy Vacation”

was just one of many names that Earl has recorded under; other aliases were Earl Cosby and Earl Nelson &

The Pelicans.    In the ’70s, Earl recorded an album for Warner Bros. under the guidance of his old buddy

Barry White.   For this effort, Barry dubbed Nelson “Jay Dee.”   A  single pulled from that one and only Jay

Dee album made the R&B listings:   “Strange Funky Games And Things.”

Explaining his one-off  dance hit as Jackie Lee, Nelson told Soul magazine:    “I didn’t create the dance.   I

saw kids doing it and I wrote the song.    Some people at Mirwood Records liked it and said, ‘Great, well

put the name ‘Jackie Lee’ on it.”‘

Earl has continued to record under various guises, making the R&B listings twice more as Jackie Lee with

“African boo-Ga-Loo” (R&B:  #43, 1968) and “The Chicken” (R&B:  #47,1970).