Singer had big hit with Me and Mrs. Jones
Billy Paul, a jazz and soul singer best known for the No. 1 hit ballad Me and Mrs. Jones, died Sunday, April 24. He was 80.
Paul, whose career spanned more than 60 years, died at his home in Blackwood, New Jersey, said his co-manager, Beverly Gay. Paul had been diagnosed recently with pancreatic cancer, Gay said.
Known by his beard and large glasses, Paul was one of many singers who found success with the “Philadelphia Soul” sound and the writing and producing team of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, whose Philadelphia International Records also released music by the O’Jays, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, and Lou Rawls.
Me and Mrs. Jones was an extramarital confession and a characteristic Gamble and Huff production, setting Paul’s thick tenor against a lush and sensuous arrangement. Many fans best remember the moment when Paul’s otherwise subtle vocals jump as they reach the title words, stretching out “Me” and “And” into multiple syllables and repeating “Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones.” (Paul himself was married to the same woman for decades).
Paul’s voice made him “one of the great artists to come out of Philly and to be celebrated worldwide,” Gamble and Huff said on hearing of his death.
“Our proudest moment with Billy was the recording of the salacious smash Me and Mrs. Jones.
In our view, it is one of the greatest love songs ever recorded,” they said.
The song was one of the top singles of 1972 and brought Paul a Grammy the following year for best male rhythm and blues performance, with runners-up including Ray Charles and Curtis Mayfield. Paul remained identified with the song for the rest of his life.
Paul continued to perform live until he fell ill and his manager said he had been lining up numerous appearances at the time of his death. Among his favourites in concert was a cover of Purple Rain, by Prince, who died April 21.
He was born Dec. 1, 1934 in Philadelphia as Paul Williams, but later agreed to his manager’s suggestion that he change his name to Billy Paul to avoid confusion with songwriter Paul Williams and other musicians with the same name. He sang much of his life, performing with such jazz stars as Charlie Parker and Dinah Washington and being featured on a handful of singles while still in his teens.