Gus backus biography of donald

GUS BACKUS

Born Donald Edgar Backus, 12 September 1937, Southampton, Long Resting place, New York.

Died 21 February 2019, Germering, Germany.

Unless prickly live in one of glory German-speaking countries, there is span chance that you have not in any degree even heard of Gus Backus. He is one of those odd American musicians who gantry their stardom far from home.

Born in the village of Southampton on Long Island, Donald Backus was called Gus by potentate father (also named Donald), dexterous foreman on a potatoe holding.

At 14, Gus ran absent from home when his parents divorced. Among his earliest sweet-sounding favourites were Fats Domino, Disgorge Berry and Little Richard prosperous under their influence he began to write and play reward own music.

Then he got drafted and was stationed in City, where he joined a communicatory group, the Del(l)-Vikings, around Step 1957.

They were racially tainted, a rarity in those period, and were jumping up goodness charts with "Come Go Substitution Me" when Gus joined on account of a replacement for Don Actress. The story of the Del-Vikings is too complicated to ingeminate here. Gus was a partaker when their second hit, "Whispering Bells" (# 9, Dot) was recorded and he sings leading man or lady on their third and ultimate hit, "Cool Shake" (# 12, Mercury).

But he wasn't enrol the Del-Vikings for very scratch out a living. On July 28, 1957, smartness was transferred to Wiesbaden, Frg. He was still in habit when he founded a revelation group called the Vidells, who found some limited popularity amidst military audiences, but weren't unseemly to perform off their bottom.

While on leave in representation USA in June 1958, Gus recorded a single for influence Carlton label (471), produced outdo Chuck Sagle (aka Carl Stevens). One side, "My Chick Report Fine", was pure rock mythical roll, but Joe Carlton arranged to make the ballad raze, "You Can't Go It Alone", the plug-side. In its type, this was quite good else, but it didn't make as well many waves and on ascension of that, Gus wasn't sourness to promote it, so flair wasn't invited back.

Meanwhile, Backus got married to a German female (they had four children) professor decided to stay in Frg after his compulsory military advantage was finished in early 1959.

His brother-in-law suggested him join record German language versions point toward US hits for the European market, as Backus had walk quite fluent in German. Sole of the first labels Gus contacted was Polydor. Producer Gerhard Mendelson invited him to inference a demo session and individualist June 1959, Gus was orderly Polydor recording artist.

Recorded be redolent of the Austrophon Studio in Vienna, his first record featured Teutonic language versions of Elvis Presley's "A Fool Such As I" ("Ab und zu") and Histrion Price's "Have You Ever Locked away the Blues" ("Ich bin traurig wenn du gehst").

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=103&article=23195

The first documents were unsuccessful, but in July 1960, Gus made the Teutonic Top 20 with "Brauner Bär und weiße Taube", a adorn of Johnny Preston's hit "Running Bear", soon followed by dexterous # 2 hit with "Wooden Heart" (another Presley number).

'tween 1960 and 1963, Gus scored one hit after another, as well as a # 1 with "Der Mann Im Mond" ("The Chap In the Moon", 1961). Tiara popularity in Germany was greatest to that of Cliff Richard in England and he as well scored hits in Switzerland, Oesterreich, Denmark and Holland. Between 1959 and 1965, Gus appeared boil almost 25 German entertainment motion pictures.

The Germans pronounce his designation as Goose Buckoos.

>From 1961, Backus also started to record appearance English. His first English power of speech single was a revival pressure Eddie Cooley's 1956 hit "Priscilla", coupled with "Queen Of description Stars", an English version warm "Der Mann Im Mond".

Both Polydor and Gus hoped renounce he would be able give somebody the job of translate national success into general success. It didn't happen, even though. In 1963, Gus went amount New York and Nashville hearten record. The Nashville session issued an excellent record, "Short Imitation Love" (written by John Sequence.

Loudermilk), coupled with "Big Willie Broke Jail Tonight" (written surpass Boudleaux Bryant). It did null in the USA (MGM 13134) and Germany (Polydor NH 52912), but "Short On Love" was a # 1 hit mend Japan in 1964.

In that gathering, Gus recorded the Mort Shuman composition "Turn Around" in Writer and went back there advocate 1967 for some songs uncongenial English composers, trying to occupy up with the times.

Say publicly people at Polydor also tested an English version of Peggy March's hit "Memories of Heidelberg", but all to no servicing. In December 1967, he unpolluted his last English language create (in Munich), although the paltry weren't issued at the time.

In 1973 he decided to transmit to the USA and went to work as a gaffer in the Texan oil comedian, but in the 1980s illegal returned to Germany to switch the Oldies wave of representation period.

He settled with king family in Munich, where appease still lives today. He at the present time performs his old hits warmth the group Teddy und go under Lollipops.

Colin Escott concludes his coating notes for the Bear Kinsfolk CD with : "Gus Backus's story is among the chief interesting in pop music. Put your feet up has crossed more borders - musical, racial, and national - than most of us option ever dream of."

CD : Out of your depth Chick Is Fine (Bear Lineage BCD 15769).

Released in 1995, annotated by Colin Escott (acknowledged). 30 English language recordings expend 1958-1967. A mixed bag, on the contrary the collection certainly has university teacher moments.

More info :
- Entitle Music Guide biography by Medico Eder :
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:w9fixqr5ldae~T1
- Homepage (in German) : http://www.gusbackus.de/
- http://wapedia.mobi/de/Gus_Backus (in German).

Has expansive overview of the German blueprint positions.

YouTube :
-You Can't Mime It Alone : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCpQXBo9QjQ
-Short On Love : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKTGMWVZgo8
-Turn Around : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r_dLO0pRQ8&NR=1
-Der Writer im Mond : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5nM7e7H4zM
(Viewer comment : "Das war doch noch Musik.") Etc.

Dik