Soul and jazz singer Billy Paul scored an international hit in 1972 with a love song about infidelity, "Me and Mrs. Jones," and a year later he beat Ray Charles and Curtis Mayfield for a best male R&B Grammy. He never again reached that level of success, but Paul performed until he became ill with pancreatic cancer, his co-manager Beverly Gay tells The Associated Press. Paul died at home in Blackwood, New Jersey, on Sunday. He was 80.
"Me and Mrs. Jones" was written by Philadelphia songwriters and producers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, and they said late Sunday that Paul was "one of the great artists to come out of Philly and to be celebrated worldwide." Gamble and Huff also released music by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the O'Jays, and Lou Rawls, but "the salacious smash 'Me and Mrs. Jones'" was "one of the greatest love songs ever recorded," they added.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Is a travel credit card worth it? How to decide and pick the right one.The Explainer Upsides include travel-related benefits and welcome bonuses
-
How IRAs work and what advantages they offerThe Explainer An IRA is a retirement savings account with tax benefits
-
Crossword: November 28, 2024The Week's daily crossword
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamationSpeed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box officeSpeed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appealSpeed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain PrizeSpeed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
