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Leon Haywood

syn, *1942 US, Houston
Singer / Musician / Songwriter / Arranger / Producer of R&B/Soul
A.k.a. Otha Leon Haywood

Otha Leon Haywood (b.February 11, 1942, Houston, Texas, USA – d.April 5, 2016, Los Angeles, California, USA) was an American funk and soul singer, songwriter and record producer. Leon Haywood founded the Evejim Records label in the 1980's. An accomplished songwriter and arranger who periodically dented the charts in the 1970's, Haywood never pretended to be an innovator. His hits are cheerful derivations of '70's mid-tempo funk and romantic ballads, usually embellished by smooth string charts. Haywood's roots extend way further back than the '70's. In the early '60's he toured and recorded with R&B saxophonist Big Jay McNeely's band (which also backed Sam Cooke on the road). In the mid-'60's, he had his first chart entry with "She's With Her Other Love" on Imperial. In 1967, he had a solid R&B hit (and small pop one) with "It's Got to Be Mellow," whose commercial soul sound betrayed his Motown influence. He didn't come into his own as a solo artist until the mid-'70's, when he had big R&B hits with "Strokin'," "Come and Get Yourself Some," and "Keep It in the Family." His biggest single, "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You", crossed over to the Top 20 pop listings. The disco-ish "Don't Push It Don't Force It" was his biggest splash, making number two R&B in 1980. After the mid-'80's, he eased out of the record business into business ventures; in the 1990's, he produced blues albums by Jimmy McCracklin and others on his own EveJim label.

     
Instruments
  • Synthesizer
  • Organ
  • Electric piano
  • Keyboards
  • Vocals
Genres
  • R&B/Soul
  • Electronic
  • Jazz
Popular Tracks   
Don't Push It Don't Force It on Keep It In The Family by Leon Haywood
I Want'a Do Something Freaky To You on Funked! : Volume 2 1973-1977 by Various Artists
I Want'a Do Something Freaky To You on Come And Get Yourself Some by Leon Haywood
It's Got To Be Mellow on The Best Of Leon Haywood by Leon Haywood
Don't Push It Don't Force It on The Best Of Leon Haywood by Leon Haywood
Who You Been Giving It Up To on Keep It In The Family by Leon Haywood
Believe Half Of What You See (And None Of What You Hear) on Come And Get Yourself Some by Leon Haywood
Baby Reconsider on I Love Northern Soul... Hook Line & Sinker by Various Artists
This Feeling's Rated X-Tra on Come And Get Yourself Some by Leon Haywood
Keep It In The Family on The Legacy by Leon Haywood

Track list and 30sec audio provided by


Band Members
Discography



Title Artist Year Type
Fight The PowerThe Isley Brothers, Tavares, Leon Haywood2017Compil.
I Want' A Do Something Freaky To You (Edit) / Nuthin' But A "G" Thang (Edit)Leon Haywood / Dr. Dre2016Single
Back to Stay / Keep It in the FamilyLeon Haywood2011Compil.
Soul CargoLeon Haywood2011Single
Funky Collector Part 7Leon Haywood / Teena Marie2001Album
The Legacy Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (There Ain't Enough Hate Around)Leon Haywood1996Album
The Best OfLeon Haywood1996Compil.
The LegacyLeon Haywood1995Single
Freaky 94Leon Haywood1994Album
Freaky ManLeon Haywood1994Album
Don't Push It Don't Force It / Get DownLeon Haywood / Gene Chandler1992Single
The Leon Haywood Story Then & NowLeon Haywood1989Compil.
It's Got To Be Mellow / Fish Ain't Bitin'Leon Haywood / Lamont Dozier1989Single
Don't Stop The Music / Don't Push It, Don't Force ItYarbrough & Peoples / Leon Haywood1988Album
SpellboundLeon Haywood1987Single
AgonyLeon Haywood1985Album
TenderoniLeon Haywood1984Album
It's Me AgainLeon Haywood1983Album
I'm Out To CatchLeon Haywood1983Single
Steppin' Out / T.V. MamaLeon Haywood1983Single
If You're Lookin' For A Night Of Fun (Look Past Me, I'm Not The One) = Si Buscas Una Noche De DiversionLeon Haywood1980Single
Tenderoni / Don't Push It Don't Force ItLeon Haywood1980Album
If You're Lookin' For A Night Of Fun (Look Past Me, I'm Not The One)Leon Haywood1980Album
DaydreamLeon Haywood1980Single
Don't Push It Don't Force ItLeon Haywood1980Album
NaturallyLeon Haywood1980Album
Disco Fever / PartyLeon Haywood1979Album
EnergyLeon Haywood1979Single
EnergyLeon Haywood1979Album
PartyLeon Haywood1978Single
Double My PleasureLeon Haywood1978Album
Fine And Healthy ThingLeon Haywood1978Single
Super SexyLeon Haywood1977Single
Double My PleasureLeon Haywood1977Single
The Streets Will Love You To DeathLeon Haywood1976Album
Dream DreamLeon Haywood1976Single
Hey! Mr. BigbenLeon Haywood1976Single
Strokin'Leon Haywood1976Single
IntimateLeon Haywood1976Album
Just Your Fool / Consider The SourceLeon Haywood1975Single
I Want' A Do Something Freaky To You / I Know What Love IsLeon Haywood1975Single
Come An' Get Yourself Some / Who You Been Giving It Up ToLeon Haywood1975Single
Come And Get Yourself SomeLeon Haywood1975Album
Believe Half Of What You See (And None Of What You Hear)Leon Haywood1974Single
Sugar LumpLeon Haywood1974Single
Keep It In The FamilyLeon Haywood1974Album
Keep It In The Family / Long As There's You (I Got Love)Leon Haywood1973Single
Back To StayLeon Haywood1973Album
La La SongLeon Haywood1973Single
There Ain't Enough Hate Around To Make Me Turn Around / One Way Ticket To Love LandLeon Haywood1972Single
Clean Up Your Own Backyard / String BeanLeon Haywood1972Single
You Know What / You And Your Moody WaysLeon Haywood1971Single
I Wanna Thank YouLeon Haywood1970Single
It's Got To Be MellowLeon Haywood1968Album
Blues Get Off My Shoulder / Everyday Will Be Like A HolidayLeon Haywood1968Single
You Don't Have To See Me Cry / I Don't Want To Talk About It BabyLeon Haywood1968Single
It's The Last Time / Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Have Mercy Baby)Leon Haywood1968Single
Baby Reconsider / Goin' Back To New OrleansLeon Haywood1967Single
It's Got To Be Mellow / Cornbread And ButtermilkLeon Haywood1967Single
Mellow MoonlightLeon Haywood1967Single
Soul Cargo / Spice Of The BluesLeon Haywood1966Single
Soul CargoLeon Haywood1966Album
Skate A While / Ever Since You Were Sweet SixteenLeon Haywood1966Single
Ain't No Use / HeyLeon Haywood1966Single
1-2-3 / Soul OnLeon Haywood1965Single
She's With Her Other Love / Pain In My HeartLeon Haywood1965Single
The Truth About Money / Would ILeon Haywood1964Single
I'm Gonna Wait / You're All For YourselfLeon Haywood1964Single
The Mellow, Mellow Leon HaywoodLeon Haywood1964Album
Hurtin' Inside (Pain In My Heart) / If This Is The Man's WorldLeon Haywood / Irma ThomasSingle
It's Got To Be Mellow / I Met Him On SundayLeon Haywood / The ShirellesSingle
Rivers Invitation / I'll Take Care Of YouLeon HaywoodSingle
Ali Baba / Cornbread And ButtermilkThe Champs / Leon HaywoodSingle
UntitlesTina Charles / George McCrae / Leon Haywood / ManhattansCompil.
External Links
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Acknowledgements
To all the music fans that are contributing on Discogs, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Thanks to Franz Flückiger for providing Storygram used to visualize band membership.
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