Joe Tex
Joe Tex was an influential American Southern soul singer known for blending funk, country, gospel, and R&B styles with preacher-like spoken-word delivery. Born Joseph Arrington Jr. on August 8, 1935, in Rogers, Texas, and raised in Baytown, he rose from talent show wins to chart success despite early struggles.
Tex grew up in a musical family, playing baritone saxophone in high school and singing in church choir. In 1953, he won a Houston talent contest that sent him to New York's Apollo Theater, where he triumphed four times, leading to a King Records deal in 1955.
After modest starts with King, Ace, and Dial labels, Tex broke through in 1964 at FAME Studios with "Hold What You've Got," a million-seller topping Pop and R&B charts. Hits like "Skinny Legs and All" (1967) and "I Gotcha" (1972, his biggest #1) followed, pioneering "rap" preaching style.
Tex converted to Islam in 1972, adopting Yusuf Hazziez, and paused music until 1975, returning with "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)" in 1977. He died of a heart attack on August 13, 1982, at age 47, earning five Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominations.
