Jesse Belvin

Vocation

American R&B singer, pianist and songwriter popular in the 1950s, whose success was cut short by his death in a car crash aged 27. Belvin moved with his family to Los Angeles at the age of five. His fourth record, "Dream Girl", reached #2 on the R&B charts in 1953. He continued to write songs during his enlistment in the army. His biggest hit was "Goodnight My Love" which reached #7 on the R&B chart. In 1958 he recorded on Dot Records with a group, The Shields. Their record, "You Cheated", reached #15 on the US pop chart and #11 on the R&B chart. Inspired by his wife and manager Jo Anne to develop his style, he signed to RCA Records in 1959, and immediately had a Top 40 hit with "Guess Who", written by his wife. He also recorded an album, Just Jesse Belvin, acquiring the nickname "Mr. Easy." The record company began moulding him as a potential crossover star for white audiences. But before his last album, Mr. Easy, was issued, Belvin and his wife were killed in an accidental head-on collision at Hope, Arkansas, on February 6, 1960. Link to Wikipedia biography