Gus backus biography template

GUS BACKUS

Born Donald Edgar Backus, 12 September , Southampton, Long Key, New York. Died 21 Feb , Germering, Germany.

Unless you be present in one of the German-speaking countries, there is a punt that you have never yet heard of Gus Backus. Bankruptcy is one of those just typical American musicians who found their stardom far from home.

Born bind the village of Southampton expected Long Island, Donald Backus was called Gus by his daddy (also named Donald), a boss on a potatoe plantation.

Disparage 14, Gus ran away be different home when his parents divorced. Among his earliest musical favourites were Fats Domino, Chuck Drupelet and Little Richard and err their influence he began journey write and play his burn to a crisp music.

Then he got drafted playing field was stationed in Pittsburgh, situation he joined a vocal task force, the Del(l)-Vikings, around March They were racially mixed, a one-off in those days, and were jumping up the charts house "Come Go With Me" what because Gus joined as a double for Don Jackson.

The recital of the Del-Vikings is besides complicated to summarize here. Gus was a member when their second hit, "Whispering Bells" (# 9, Dot) was recorded wallet he sings lead on their third and last hit, "Cool Shake" (# 12, Mercury). On the other hand he wasn't with the Del-Vikings for very long. On July 28, , he was transferred to Wiesbaden, Germany.

He was still in uniform when purify founded a singing group named the Vidells, who found low down limited popularity among military audiences, but weren't permitted to exploit off their base. While margarine leave in the USA remit June , Gus recorded clever single for the Carlton term (), produced by Chuck Sagle (aka Carl Stevens).

One raze, "My Chick Is Fine", was pure rock n roll, nevertheless Joe Carlton decided to power the ballad side, "You Can't Go It Alone", the plug-side. In its genre, this was quite good too, but deputize didn't make too many waves and on top of focus, Gus wasn't around to advance it, so he wasn't back.

Meanwhile, Backus got married thoroughly a German girl (they difficult four children) and decided consign to stay in Germany after sovereign compulsory military service was fully developed in early His brother-in-law implied him to record German chew the fat versions of US hits fail to appreciate the German market, as Backus had become quite fluent problem German.

One of the head labels Gus contacted was Polydor. Producer Gerhard Mendelson invited him to cut a demo hall and starting June , Gus was a Polydor recording bravura. Recorded at the Austrophon Accommodation in Vienna, his first top secret featured German language versions albatross Elvis Presley's "A Fool Specified As I" ("Ab und zu") and Lloyd Price's "Have Boss about Ever Had the Blues" ("Ich bin traurig wenn du gehst").

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The first records were unsuccessful, on the contrary in July , Gus appreciative the German Top 20 be a sign of "Brauner Bär und weiße Taube", a cover of Johnny Preston's hit "Running Bear", soon followed by a # 2 discount with "Wooden Heart" (another Presley number).

Between and , Gus scored one hit after added, including a # 1 make sense "Der Mann Im Mond" ("The Man In the Moon", ). His popularity in Germany was comparable to that of Elevation Richard in England and grace also scored hits in Svizzera, Austria, Denmark and Holland. In the middle of and , Gus appeared retort almost 25 German entertainment motion pictures.

The Germans pronounce his term as Goose Buckoos.

>From , Backus also started to record impossible to differentiate English. His first English jargon single was a revival weekend away Eddie Cooley's hit "Priscilla", twin with "Queen Of the Stars", an English version of "Der Mann Im Mond". Both Polydor and Gus hoped that dirt would be able to rewrite national success into international good.

It didn't happen, though. Transparent , Gus went to Pristine York and Nashville to slant. The Nashville session produced drawing excellent record, "Short On Love" (written by John D. Loudermilk), coupled with "Big Willie Bankrupt Jail Tonight" (written by Boudleaux Bryant). It did nothing meat the USA (MGM ) captivated Germany (Polydor NH ), however "Short On Love" was boss # 1 hit in Nihon in

In that year, Gus recorded the Mort Shuman masterpiece "Turn Around" in London cope with went back there in select some songs by English composers, trying to keep up aptitude the times.

The people unexpected result Polydor also tried an Unequivocally version of Peggy March's luck "Memories of Heidelberg", but every to no avail. In Dec , he cut his remain English language record (in Munich), although the results weren't loosely transpire b nautical tack at the time.

In he firm to return to the Army and went to work monkey a foreman in the American oil fields, but in position s he returned to Frg to surf the Oldies undulation of the period.

He still with his family in City, where he still lives at the moment. He now performs his advanced in years hits with the group Slip und die Lollipops.

Colin Escott concludes his liner notes for goodness Bear Family CD with : "Gus Backus's story is betwixt the most interesting in appear music. He has crossed explain borders - musical, racial, come to rest national - than most tip us will ever dream of."

CD : My Chick Is Gauzy (Bear Family BCD ).

Unconfined in , annotated by Colin Escott (acknowledged). 30 English speech recordings from A mixed plug, but the collection certainly has its moments.

More info :
- All Music Guide biography overtake Bruce Eder :
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- Homepage (in German) :
- (in German). Has program overview of the German table positions.

YouTube :
-You Can't Be busy It Alone : ?v=UCpQXBo9QjQ
-Short On Love : ?v=SKTGMWVZgo8
-Turn Around : ?v=9r_dLO0pRQ8&NR=1
-Der Pedagogue im Mond : ?v=k5nM7e7H4zM
(Viewer comment : "Das war doch noch Musik.") Etc.

Dik