Gary U.S. Bonds
Gary U.S. Bonds is an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, known for his hits "New Orleans" and "Quarter to Three".
Career
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Bonds lived in Norfolk, Virginia, in the 1950s when he began singing publicly in church and with a group called the Turks. He joined record producer Frank Guida's small Legrand Records label where Guida chose Anderson's stage name, U.S. Bonds, in hopes that it would be confused with a public service announcement advertising the sale of government bonds and thereby garner more DJ attention. In the October 24, 1960, edition of Billboard magazine, it states his name is "U.S. Bonds". His first three singles and first album, Dance 'Til Quarter to Three, were released under the U.S. Bonds name, but people assumed it was the name of a group. To avoid confusion, subsequent releases, including his second album Twist Up Calypso, were made under the name Gary Bonds. The parentheses were discarded in the 1970s."Quarter to Three" sold one million records, earning a gold disc. Subsequent hits, under his modified name, included "School Is Out", "Dear Lady Twist", "School Is In" and "Twist, Twist Senora" in the early 1960s. His hits featured solos by the saxophonist Gene Barge.
"Quarter to Three" appears on The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.
In the early 1980s, Bonds had a career resurgence with two albums, both of them recorded with Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, and the E Street Band. Dedication was released in 1981, and On the Line followed in 1982. The albums spawned several hits including "This Little Girl", "Jolé Blon" and "Out of Work".
Bonds released an album in 2004 called Back in 20, the title referencing his repeated sporadic pop-ups of popularity. The album features guest appearances by Springsteen and Southside Johnny.
In 2009, he released a new album, Let Them Talk, and toured the UK as a special guest of Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. In 2010, Bonds contributed duet vocals on the song "Umbrella in My Drink" on Southside Johnny's album Pills and Ammo.
While Bonds is mostly known for achievements within rhythm and blues and rock and roll, some of his songs are equally at home in other genres; for example, "She's All I Got", co-written by Jerry Williams, Jr., was nominated for the Country Music Association's "Song of the Year" in 1972 when it was a big hit for Johnny Paycheck. Bonds is also a 1997 honoree of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. He is an accomplished golfer and often played in celebrity PGA Tour events.