Wade Flemons

A relatively obscure American R & B performer, Wade Flemons (September 25 1940, in Coffeyville, Kansas - October 13th 1993, Battle Creek, Michigan) is likely best known for his singles on the Vee-Jay label. He co-wrote The Dells biggest hit (# 10, 1968), "Stay In My Corner" & beginning in the late 60's he also was a member of The Salty Peppers which evolved into Earth, Wind & Fire, with whom he performed with until 1973. Initially raised in Kansas but moving to Michigan as a teenager, Wade Flemons fomed an R&B group at age 15 called The Newcomers. In 1958 he was signed as a solo artist by Vee-Jay Records in Chicago and scored several hits for the label, both pop and R&B. The first of these was his own composition "Here I Stand" (1958), which was successfully revived by the Rip Chords in 1963. Flemons continued to record for Vee-Jay until 1965, with his highest peaking single (# 10 R&B, # 70 pop) being "Easy Lovin'" in 1960 and a cover of Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone To Love" (1961), which was his last solo chart hit. Some late sixties singles still popular with the UK northern soul scene appeared on indie labels such as Ramsel which released Jeanette in 1968. Flemons joined fellow Vee-Jay session vocalist Maurice White in a soul group called The Salty Peppers, which by 1970 had evolved into Earth, Wind And Fire. Flemons was a member of the early incarnation of this highly successful group from 1970 until 1973, as vocalist, (electric) pianist and vibraphonist. After releasing two albums on Warner Bros, the leader of the group, Maurice White, fired most of the group in 1973, including Flemons. Wade Flemons died of cancer at the age of 53.