Philippé Wynne
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Philippé Wynne | |
|---|---|
R&B | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1968–1984 |
| Labels | Atlantic, Sugar Hill |
Philippé Wynne (aka Philippe Escalante Wynn; né Walker; April 3, 1941 – July 14, 1984) was an American singer, best known for his role as a lead vocalist of
The Spinners (a role he shared with fellow group members Bobby Smith and Henry Fambrough). Wynne scored notable hits such as "How Could I Let You Get Away", "The Rubberband Man", and "One of a Kind (Love Affair)". After leaving The Spinners, Wynne never regained the same success, although he was featured in hits by other artists such as "(Not Just) Knee Deep" by Funkadelic. Wynne died of a heart attack while performing at a nightclub
.
Life and career
Born in
Cincinnati, Ohio, and raised in the New Orphanage Asylum for Colored Children in Cincinnati, Ohio,[1] Wynne went to Detroit in the early 1960s and began his musical career with his brother Michael Walker as a gospel singer. He soon switched to R&B and attained some measure of success, singing with Bootsy Collins[2] 's Pacemakers in 1968. Wynne then spent time in Germany as the lead singer of the Afro Kings, a band from Liberia, before he replaced his cousin, G. C. Cameron, as one of the lead vocalists for The Spinners. He sang with the group until 1977, during which they achieved several successful albums and singles
.
Wynne was one of three lead singers of the Spinners, but after several years with the group, he wanted the group's name changed to Philippe Wynn and the Spinners. When this was denied, he left the group and launched a solo career, with
the Treacherous Three. Wynne's final album was the self-titled Philippé Wynne, released by Sugar Hill Records
in 1984.
Family
His parents, DeGree Walker and Annie (née Wynn) divorced in November 1947 in
Cincinnati, Ohio. Around 1952, Philippe and his three siblings – Annie Walker, who later became an opera singer, Michael Leon Walker, and Margaret Walker – were placed in the New Orphan Asylum for Colored Children (which closed in 1967), in the Avondale neighborhood of Cincinnati, on Van Buren Street. Their father, DeGree Walker, was granted custody after the divorce, although he worked as a contractor in construction and had to travel.[5] Their mother, Annie, had run off to Detroit with another man.[6]
I guess the hardest part to take was being there and knowing that both of your parents were still alive.
— Philippé Wynne, 1981[5]
Around 1956, Philippé and his brother, Michael, ran away from the orphanage and headed to
Marriage and children
Wynne married Ava Leflor on February 1, 1973, in
The Spinners. Philippé and Ava eventually divorced. Alvarez was killed in a drive-by shooting in Compton in 1999 and Emmanuel, who was living in Daytona Beach, Florida, drowned two years later in 2001 while trying to save a man. Emmanuel was posthumously given the Carnegie Medal for his heroism.[7][8][9]
Death
On July 13, 1984, Wynne suffered a heart attack while performing at a nightclub in Oakland, California. He died the next day, at the age of 43.[10]
He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023 as a member of the Spinners.[11]
Discography
Albums
- Starting All Over – Cotillion – SD 9920, 1977[12]
- Wynne Jammin' – Uncle Jam – JZ 36843, 1980[13]
- Philippe Wynne – Sugarhill – SH-9204, 1984[14]
References
- ^ "Deep Online 2/2006". www.soulexpress.net. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
- ^ Planer, Lindsay. "Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band – Bootsy's Rubber Band". AllMusic. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c Elias, Jason. "Soul Retrospective: The Spinners". soultrain.com. Soul Train. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
- ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ Cincinnati Enquirer, December 12, 1981 (retrieved August 18, 2016, via www, fee required)
.newspapers .com - ^ Detroit Metro Times, November 25, 2009 (retrieved August 18, 2016)
- ^ "Carnegie Medals Awarded to 19 for Extraordinary Acts of Heroism". Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. April 26, 2001. Archived from the original on March 4, 2013.
- ^ "Act Of Heroism Wins Top Award: Emmanuel Wynn, Who Lost His Life Trying To Save Another, Was Given The Carnegie Medal". Orlando Sentinel. April 27, 2001. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016.
- ^ "Emmanuel Wynne Memorial 2000". YouTube.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
- ^ Madarang, Charisma (May 4, 2023). "'This Was Our Time': The Spinners' Surviving Founder on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Discogs Philippé Wynne* – Starting All Over
- ^ Discogs Philippe Wynne – Wynne Jammin'
- ^ Discogs Philippe Wynne – Philippe Wynne
See also
Bibliography
- Romanski, Patricia and Holly George-Warren (Editors). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. New York, NY: Fireside, 2005.
External links
- Philippé Wynne discography at Discogs
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