Jackie Russell / Richard Russell
Cleveland, early 1960s - 1980s
Richard "Jackie" Russell made the journey from rural Georgia to Cleveland when he was young, and was singing in local clubs as early as 1963, using the name Jackie Russell.
He recorded his first 45 in September 1967, two original uptempo soul songs that were released as the first 45 for Boddie's Soul Kitchen label. The 45 was recorded at Boddie and likely used the same band that backed Penny North and other Boddie recordings. The record sold pretty well locally, one of Boddie's more successful records. Papers in the Boddie archives mentioned a dispute between Jackie and either Boddie or the producers.
There are no more listings in the Cleveland papers for Jackie, so he must have reverted back to his real name RIchard Russell. Here there is some mystery as he appears to have moved (back) to Georgia. His next 45 is from 1969, and was issued on his own Double R label with a Columbus, Georgia address. The record must have been a local/regional hit, as it was picked up for wider release by the KaShE label from New York City. The songs were "No Body Can Stop Me" and "Wish You Were Here".
In October of 1970 Richard issued another 45 on Double R, pressed by Boddie. This is one of the rarer Boddie records, it rarely surfaces in Cleveland. One side appears to be the same song "No Body Can Stop Me" although we don't know if it is the same recording. The other side "I Loved and I Lost" has not been heard by us.
Richard moved back to Cleveland and mostly retired from singing. He operated a carpet installation business, and in 1985, decided to get back into recording with a song "I Wanna Lay Your Carpet", with the title and lyrics deliberately double-entrendre. He went back to Boddie and pressed up a few copies in 1985. That seems to be the last performance for RIchard/Jackie.
He was supposedly tracked down in the early 2010s but was suffering from dementia.
Discography
Don't Trade Love For Money / If You Don't Want Me - Soul Kitchen 0010,
9-16-67 date on paperwork
Wish You Were Here / No Body Can Stop Me - Double R No #/KaShE 444, Dec
1969 (KaShE release)
No Body Can Stop Me / i Loved and I Lost - Double R no # (Boddie master
7037), 10-18-70 date on paperwork
I Wanna Lay Your Carpet / I Wanna Lay Your Carpet (instrumental), Only
One no # (Boddie master 8510), 1985