Label
scan courtesy of Dougie Ward
Willie's name crops
up on a lot of Detroit discs.
Prior to Ric-Tic, he was particularly busy
working with Mike Hanks. Davie Gordon shared
this information on the forum. "I was
surprised to see Willie's name credited on a Ruth Brown
song back in the fifties. Another of his early songs was
LaVern Baker's "Bop ting a ling" which he
co-wrote with Clarence Paul. I think he is also
the K Barker or Kay Barker who co-wrote "It's
amazing" for Ben E King and "Jody's got your
girl" for Johnnie Taylor. He also co-wrote and
co-produced for Buddy Lamp on the Duke label using the alias
J Corley. Willie also worked with
the Magictones, Emanuel
Lasky, Carla Thomas, Don
Hart, The Dells, Lee Rogers, Geraldine Hunt, the Paragons,
JJ Barnes, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Fabulous Peps
and the Lamp Sisters." As an artist he can be traced to one 45, "Meet me
halfway", on Ric-Tic125. For this he would use another
pseudonym, Willie G. Willie went on to
work with Don Davis in the seventies and sadly died a few
years ago.
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