Gary U.S. Bonds

Gary U.S. Bonds (born Gary Levone Anderson; June 6, 1939)<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">Template:Cite book</ref> is an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, known for his hits "New Orleans" and "Quarter to Three".

Career

Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Bonds lived in Norfolk, Virginia, in the 1950s when he began singing publicly in church and with a group called the Turks.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/> He joined record producer Frank Guida's small Legrand Records label where Guida chose Anderson's stage name, U.S. Bonds, in hopes that it would be confused with a public service announcement advertising the sale of government bonds and thereby garner more DJ attention.<ref>Back in 20. Gary US Bonds – 2004 – MC.</ref> His first three singles and first album, Dance 'Til Quarter to Three, were released under the U.S. Bonds name, but people assumed it was the name of a group. To avoid confusion, subsequent releases, including his second album Twist Up Calypso, were made under the name Gary (U.S.) Bonds. The parentheses were discarded in the 1970s.<ref name="www.garyusbonds.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

"Quarter to Three" sold one million records, earning a gold disc.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/> Subsequent hits, under his modified name, included "School Is Out" (#5), "Dear Lady Twist" (#9), "School Is In" (#28) and "Twist, Twist Senora" (#9) in the early 1960s. In a 1963 tour of Europe, he headlined above the Beatles. His hits featured solos by the saxophonist Gene Barge.<ref name="www.garyusbonds.com"/>

"Quarter to Three" appears on The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the early 1980s, Bonds had a career resurgence with two albums, both of them recorded with Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, and the E Street Band. Dedication was released in 1981, and On the Line followed in 1982. The albums spawned several hits including "This Little Girl" (his comeback hit in 1981, which reached No. 11 on the pop chart in Billboard and No. 5 on the mainstream rock chart), "Jolé Blon" and "Out of Work".<ref name="www.garyusbonds.com"/>

Bonds released an album in 2004 called Back in 20, the title referencing his repeated sporadic pop-ups of popularity (his first hits were in the 1960s, then again in the 1980s, and another significant album in the early 2000s, each 20-odd years apart). The album features guest appearances by Springsteen and Southside Johnny.<ref name="www.garyusbonds.com"/>

In 2009, he released a new album, Let Them Talk, and toured the UK as a special guest of Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2010, Bonds contributed duet vocals on the song "Umbrella in My Drink" on Southside Johnny's album Pills and Ammo.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

While Bonds is mostly known for achievements within rhythm and blues and rock and roll, some of his songs are equally at home in other genres; for example, "She's All I Got", co-written by Jerry Williams, Jr. (better known as Swamp Dogg), was nominated for the Country Music Association's "Song of the Year" in 1972 when it was a big hit for Johnny Paycheck. (Freddie North also charted his only pop hit with a soul cover of the same song.) Bonds is also a 1997 honoree of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. He is an accomplished golfer and often plays celebrity PGA Tour events.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album	Chart positions
		US <ref name="Awards">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	US R&B <ref name="Awards"/>	AUS <ref name="aus">Template:Cite book</ref>	UK <ref name="UK"/>
1961	Dance 'Til Quarter to Three with U.S Bonds	6	—	—	—
1962	Twist Up Calypso	—	—	—	—
1981	Dedication	27	34	27	43
1982	On the Line	52	—	92	55
1984	Standing in the Line of Fire	—	—	—	—
1996	Nothing Left to Lose	—	—	—	—
2004	Back in 20	—	—	—	—
2009	Let Them Talk	—	—	—	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

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Singles

Year	Title	Chart positions				Album
		US Pop <ref name="Awards"/>	US R&B <ref name="Awards"/>	US Rock <ref name="Awards"/>	UK <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="UK">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1960	"New Orleans"	6	5	―	16	Dance 'Til Quarter to Three with U.S. Bonds
1961	"Not Me"	—	—	—	—
	"Quarter to Three"	1	3	―	7
	"School Is Out"	5	12	―	―
	"School Is In"	28	―	―	―	non-album single
1962	"Dear Lady Twist"	9	5	―	―	Twist Up Calypso
	"Twist, Twist Senora"	9	―	―	―
	"Seven Day Weekend"	27	―	―	―	non-album single
	"Copy Cat"	92	―	―	―
	"Mixed Up Faculty"	―	―	―	―
	"Where Did That Naughty Little Girl Go"	―	―	―	―
1963	"I Don't Wanta Wait"	―	―	―	―
	"No More Homework"	―	―	―	―
	"Perdido (Parts I & II)"	―	―	―	―
	"My Sweet Ruby Rose"	―	―	―	―
1964	"Miss You America"	―	―	―	―
	"Ella Is Yella"	―	―	―	―
	"Oh Yeah - Oh Yeah"	―	―	―	―
1965	"You Oughta See My Sarah"	―	―	―	―
	"Do the Bumpsie"	―	―	―	―
1966	"Take Me Back to New Orleans"	―	―	―	―
	"Slow Motion"	―	―	―	―
1967	"Send Her to Me"	―	―	―	―
	"Call Me for Christmas"	―	―	―	―
1968	"Sarah Jane"	―	―	―	―
	"I'm Glad You're Back"	―	―	―	―
1969	"The Star"	―	―	―	―
1970	"One Broken Heart"	―	―	―	―
1971	"Joy to the World"	―	―	―	―
1974	"My Love Song"	―	―	―	―
1975	"Grandma's Washboard Band"	―	―	―	―
1981	"This Little Girl"	11	―	5	43	Dedication
	"Jolé Blon"	65	―	29	51
	"It's Only Love"	―	―	―	43
1982	"Soul Deep"	―	―	―	59	On the Line
	"Out of Work"	21	82	10	―
1984	"Standing in the Line of Fire"	―	―	―	―	Standing in the Line of Fire
1985	"Summertime Fun" / "Dance to the Beat"	―	―	―	―	non-album single
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

External links

• Template:Official website
• {{#if:|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs|{{#if:Template:Wikidata|Template:Wikidata Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at DiscogsTemplate:EditAtWikidata|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs}}}}