Jeff Perry Shoulda Been Famous

For the life of me, I could never figure out why Jeffrey Perry wasn't a huge R&B star of the 1970s. I guess the field was crowded with so many greats back then, there was only room for so many.

Here's a rare appearance of him on a 1976 episode of "Soul Train," singing--quite happily, I should add---"Love Don't Come No Stronger." Perry's career did enjoy a bounce in the mid-1990s. Kenny B., a Chicago steppers' dj I used to know, started playing, "Love's Gonna Last," a track from Perry's forgotten 1979 MCA album. The song became a staple on WVAZ where Kenny B., spun records and gave Perry's career as shot in the arm.

The 1979 album, "Jeffree," is worth tracking down. It's beautifully sung, and Perry wrote all the songs on the joint. Why MCA let this album bomb is beyond me. I found a pristine copy of it for $5 at the old 2nd Hand Tunes in Hyde Park, and no you can't have it.