Singer. He was the smooth baritone lead singer and arranger of the fabled a cappella group, The Persuasions. He was born Jerome Eugene Lawson. He formed The Persuasions with Jimmy Hayes, Joseph Russell, Herbert Rhoad, Jayotis Washington in 1962 in Brooklyn, New York. He toured with the group for 40 years, releasing twenty-five albums. In 1966, the group worked with Robert F. Kennedy on his “Project Restoration” program for Bedford-Stuyvesant, the first community redevelopment project of its kind. Where a cappella groups had historically been gospel-based, he and The Persuasions were the first to make secular pop music their bread-and-butter. "With the Persuasions, he took a cappella from doo wop into a new era," he kept a cappella alive during the '70s, setting up today’s resurgence, and inspired generations of singers with his voice and his soul. His legacy cannnot be overstated." The Persuasions songs include: Good Times, I Could Never Love Another, Buffalo Soldier, Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow, Man Oh Man, Gypsy Woman and many more. After leaving The Persuasions in 2002 for personal reasons, he relocated to Phoenix. He continued with various solo performances and in 2005 he joined Rod Stewart on stage for the Katrina Benefit Concert for the victims of the hurricane. His first and only solo album, “Just a Mortal Man,” was released in 2015. After moving to Phoenix, he took a full-time job caring for disabled adults at Arizona Mentor, where he was employed for nine years until his death.
Singer. He was the smooth baritone lead singer and arranger of the fabled a cappella group, The Persuasions. He was born Jerome Eugene Lawson. He formed The Persuasions with Jimmy Hayes, Joseph Russell, Herbert Rhoad, Jayotis Washington in 1962 in Brooklyn, New York. He toured with the group for 40 years, releasing twenty-five albums. In 1966, the group worked with Robert F. Kennedy on his “Project Restoration” program for Bedford-Stuyvesant, the first community redevelopment project of its kind. Where a cappella groups had historically been gospel-based, he and The Persuasions were the first to make secular pop music their bread-and-butter. "With the Persuasions, he took a cappella from doo wop into a new era," he kept a cappella alive during the '70s, setting up today’s resurgence, and inspired generations of singers with his voice and his soul. His legacy cannnot be overstated." The Persuasions songs include: Good Times, I Could Never Love Another, Buffalo Soldier, Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow, Man Oh Man, Gypsy Woman and many more. After leaving The Persuasions in 2002 for personal reasons, he relocated to Phoenix. He continued with various solo performances and in 2005 he joined Rod Stewart on stage for the Katrina Benefit Concert for the victims of the hurricane. His first and only solo album, “Just a Mortal Man,” was released in 2015. After moving to Phoenix, he took a full-time job caring for disabled adults at Arizona Mentor, where he was employed for nine years until his death.
Bio by: Babe
Family Members
Parents
Advertisement
See more Lawson memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
