Get to know the artists

A - C

• Gary Alexander - Singer/songwriter/producer/owner at Big Blue Recording. Former member of The Entertainers. 2014 Carolina Beach Music Awards for Song Writers Of The Year along with Earl Dawkins and David Floyd for "Maybe We Can Still Be Friends." He was part of the BMDD inaugural countdown on February 12, 2021 at #5 with "You've Got Me Dancing." It peaked at #3. Website is GaryAlexanderMusic.com

• Jeff Ayers & Maggie Coble - No biographical information available. They debuted at #12 on February 19, 2021 with a remake of the Isley Brothers hit, "This Old Heart of Mine," then peaked at #9 the next week.

• The Bamboos - An Australian Funk/Soul band out of Melbourne. Over 20 members have rotated in and out of the band, but the one constant has been Lance Ferguson, who started the band in 2000. They've been nominated for several music awards in Australia. Their music has been featured in television and movies, including Crazy, Stupid, Love and Grey's Anatomy. They entered the BMDD on February 26, 2021 at #7 with "While You Sleep." Website is TheBamboos.com

• JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound - American soul band from Chicago. The band formed in 2007 after guitarist Billy Bungeroth put an ad on Craigslist. JC Brooks answered the ad, dropped his theater gig and joined the band. He was part of the inaugural BMDD on February 12, 2021 at #9 with "I Got High." It held steady at #9 the following week,  then fell out of the Dirty Dozen. Website is JCBrooksBand.com

• The Catalinas - A legendary beach music band that's been around since the 1950s. They're from Charlotte. Known for hits like "You Haven't the Right" and "Summertime's Calling Me." They were part of the inaugural BMDD on February 12, 2021 at #12 with "Stranded," and fell out of the Dirty Dozen the following week. Website is TheCatalinas.net

• Chadwick Station - A UK band that relocated to Nashville. Their debut EP, Waiting for a Sunny Day was met with critical acclaim. Their next single, "Cryin' Ain't Gonna Win Her Back," hit #1 on the beach music charts. Their song "The 15-501" became an anthem for the Duke-UNC basketball rivalry. They were part of the inaugural BMDD on February 12, 2021 with two songs, "Cryin' Ain't Gonna Win Her Back" and "A Most Peculiar Day." "Cryin'" debuted at #8 where it peaked. "Peculiar Day" debuted at #4 the first week, then rose to #3, then #2 the following weeks. "Coming Back for More" debuted at #10 on April 16, 2021 and hit #1 on June 11. Website is ChadwickStation.com

D - F

• The Devonns - A retro-soul band from Chicago. The lead singer is Mat Ajjarapu. They debuted on the Beach Music Dirty Dozen on April 23, 2021 at #12 with "Tell Me," a song written by Ajjarapu. Website is TheDevonns.bandcamp.com

• Dr Rubberfunk and Izo FitzRoy - Dr Rubberfunk is the DJ pseudonym of Simon Ward, a UK artist who has produced other artists, including Izo FitzRoy, another Londoner who drew inspiration from her debut album, Skyline, from her time living in New Orleans. Their song, "A Matter of Time," debuted on the BMDD at #10 on March 12, 2021. Dr Rubberfunk's Facebook page is Facebook.com/DrRubberfunk

• Abi Farrell - A UK soul singer from Oxfordshire, Abi was raised on Aretha Franklin, Carole King, and Chaka Khan. She released her debut EP in 2019, The Only Way I Learn. A few months later, she met singer/songwriter/producer Nick Corbin, who had started Big AC Records with his wife, Sophie Heath. Corbin and Farrell started a songwriting collaboration that resulted in "I Will See You Through." The song debuted on the BMDD on March 5, 2021 at #8. Website is AbiFarrell.com

• Lee Fields & The Expressions - Lee Fields is an American soul singer born in Wilson, NC. He moved to New York at age 17 to pursue a music career. He was nicknamed "Little JB" because he emulated the moves and style of James Brown. He would later provide additional vocals for the James Brown bio movie, Get On Up. He was part of the inaugural BMDD countdown on February 12, 2021 debuting at #3 with "Two Timer" where it peaked. Website is LeeFieldsandtheExpressions.com

• Aaron Frazer - Raised in Baltimore, Frazer is the former co-lead vocalist and drummer for Durand Jones & The Indications. His debut solo album, Introducing... was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. That's where we find "If I Got It (Your Love Brought It)" which debuted on the BMDD on March 12, 2021 at #12. Website is AaronFrazerMusic.com

• The Freedom Affair - A 9-piece soul band out of Kansas City. They formed in 2017 with a mission to write and record original soul music inspired by the legends of the past. The band's debut album is Freedom is Love, which is where we found "Outta My Mind" which debuted on the BMDD on March 12, 2021 at #9. Their website is TheFreedomAffair.com

G - I

• Chase Given - Chase first performed on stage at age 3. He formed a band at age 6 with his brothers called Boy's Club. When their baby sister joined the band they changed the name to Boy's Club & A Babe. The toured the East Coast from 1989 to 2005. They released 7 CDs. Born in Eastern North Carolina, he now lives in Salt Lake City, UT. He debuted on the BMDD on February 19, 2021 at #11 with "Let's Dance." He peaked at #8 the following week. Website is ChaseGivenMusic.com

• The Harlem Gospel Travelers - The Harlem Gospel Travelers are not from Harlem, believe it or not. They came from the five boroughs of New York and found their collective voices in Harlem studying under Eli "Paperboy" Reed at Vy Higginsen's Gospel for Teens, a music school she founded in 2006. "Nothing but His Love" debuted at #11 on March 26, 2021 on the Beach Music Dirty Dozen. Website is through their record label.

• James Hunter Six - James Hunter is an English R&B singer. He's collaborated with Van Morrison who sang background on a couple of Hunter's songs on his 1996 album, Believe What I Say. He was nominated for Grammy in 2006 for Best Traditional Blues Album. They were part of the inaugural BMDD on February 12, 2021, debuting at #6 with "He's Your Could've Been." The song peaked #4. Website is JamesHunterMusic.com

J - L

• Billy Jones & The Delta Blues Outlaws - Popular on the Mid-South casino, nightclub, and party circuit. They've also toured all over Europe. Billy has backed up the Bar-Kays and Chaka Khan. He was part of the inaugural BMDD on February 12, 2021, debuting at #7 with "The One You Need" where it peaked. More info on their ReverbNation page.

• Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Sharon Jones was an American soul and funk singer based in Brooklyn. She didn't start recording until she was 40. She was nominated for a Grammy in 2014 in the category Best R&B Album. She died of pancreatic cancer in 2016 at the age of 60. She was part of the inaugural BMDD countdown on February 12, 2021 with a cover of the Fontella Bass classic, "Rescue Me." She debuted at #1. Website is SharonJonesandtheDapKings.com

• LaTasha Lee - LaTasha Lee is a soul singer from Corpus Christi. She made it to the top 50 on The X Factor in 2012. The following year, she released her debut album. She made a brief appearance on the first Beach Music Dirty Dozen chart at #11 on February 12, 2021. She returned on April 2, 2021 with "What Happened to Us" that also debuted at #11. Website is her Facebook page

M - O

• Pepe Marquez - Santa Barbara-based Latin/R&B/Soul singer. His influences are Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and Rocky Padilla. Website is his profile page at Thump Records

• Emma Noble - British soul singer from Hampshire, England. She's half of the DJ duo Noble & Heath. She hosts a radio show along with Sophie Heath on Totally Wired Radio. She's written songs with musician/producer Lack of Afro. She released her first solo EP in 2020 that included the Marvin Gaye remake "Woman of the World." It debuted on the BMDD at an impressive #5 on March 5, 2021. More info at EmmaNobleMusic.

 

• The Orgōnes - A funk revivalist band from LA. Many of the members have been playing together since the ‘90s, but they didn’t form into the band they are now until around 2000. They backed Alicia Keys on her hit “Teenage Love Affair,” and Cee Lo Green on his Grammy winning “Fool For You.” Their latest album is Connection, where we picked up “This One Time.” It debuted at #7 on the BMDD on March 12, 2021. Website is Orgonespace.com

P - R

 

• The Resonaires - Not much public information about them other than they're from Brooklyn. Their debut single is "Standing with You," which debuted on the BMDD on March 12, 2021 at #11. Their Facebook page is Facebook.com/TheResonaires

S - U

• Diane Shaw - Soul singer from the UK. A legend of Northern Soul. Two No.1 UK Soul Albums, Love, Life & Strings and Second Chance. She was part of the inaugural BMDD countdown on February 12, 2021, debuting with "Leave a Little Love" at #2. She went to #1 the following week and stayed there for three weeks. Website is DianeShaw.co.uk

• Speedometer with Vanessa Jamie - Speedometer is a UK soul and funk band. Their website is Speedometer-funk.co.uk. Vanessa Jamie is a singer/songwriter from East London. She fuses Neo-soul, Hip-Hop, and Jazz. Speedometer was part of the BMDD inaugural countdown on February 12, 2021, debuting at #10 with "We Gave Up Too Soon." It peaked at #3 on March 12, 2021. Vanessa's Facebook page is Vanessa Jamie Music.

• Swamp Dogg - Pseudonym for Jerry Williams, Jr., a R&B/Soul singer and record producer from Portsmouth, VA. He cut his first record, HTD Blues (Hardsick Troublesome Downout Blues), in 1954 at the age of 12. He worked on a lot of records in Muscle Shoals, music producer Jerry Wexler from Atlantic Records called 'Swamp Music." That's where Jerry Williams became Swamp Dogg in 1970. He debuted on the BMDD on February 26, 2021 with "Good, Better, Best" at #11 and peaked at #10. Website is TheSwampDogg.com

• The Tibbs - A Dutch R&B/funk/jazz band with a blend of Detroit and Philly sounds from the '60s and '70s. That incredibly silky lead vocal belongs to Roxanne Hartog who joined the band in 2018. Their 2020 album is Another Shot Fired, which is where we find their beach single, "Soul of My Life." It debuted on the BMDD at #6 on March 5, 2021. Website is TheTibbs.nl

V - W

X - Z

 

• Yola - Yola Carter is a British singer/songwriter from Bristol. She's the former lead singer for Phantom Limb. She was nominated for four Grammys in 2020, including a nomination for Best New Artist. "I Don't Wanna Lie" is from her Walk Through Fire album, and it debuted on the Beach Music Dirty Dozen on April 9, 2021 at #11. Website is IAmYola.com