Jo Jo Benson

Hailing from Phenix City, AL, Jo Jo Benson (real name: Joseph Hewell) began singing in church as a child and, by the age of 14, was sneaking into clubs to sing on-stage with local bands. Although he toured with Chuck Willis and met such acclaimed artists as B.B. King and Smokey Robinson, it was a recording from 1968, "Lover's Holiday" (a duet with Peggy Scott), that resulted in Benson's first hit single, eventually going gold. The duo would release two more hit singles over the next few years: "Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries" and "Soulshake." The pair went their separate ways i...