January 29, 2023:

————WINNERS ANNOUNCED!————

DADDY B. NICE’S 16th Annual BEST OF 2022 SOUTHERN SOUL MUSIC AWARDS.

WINNERS are posted at the end of each list of finalists.

Best Mid-Tempo Song
Best Club Song
Best Ballad
Best Song by Longtime Veteran
Best Female Vocalist
Best Male Vocalist
Best Debut
Best Collaboration
Best Out-Of-Left-Field Song
Best Chitlin’ Circuit Blues Song
Best Cover Song
Best-Produced Song
Best Album

Winners in all categories will be permanently memorialized in Daddy B. Nice’s Comprehensive Index.

Best Mid-Tempo Song Nominees

Tucka & King George —- “Jukebox Lover (Remix)”
Lacee —- “You Don’t Need It”
King George —- “Friday Night”
Mr. Hollywood —- “Ms. Fine Thang”
Tucka —- “Jukebox Lover”
King George —- “Can’t Stay Too Long”
Ciddy Boi P w/ Till 1, Mississippi Hummin’ Boy —- “Can I Get It?”
“No Worries” —- Jeter Jones
C. Jones —- “Mr. Willie”
K. Renaa —- “She Could Never Be Me”
Calvin Taylor & The Soul Cartel Band —- “Keep It 100”
King George —- “Keep On Rollin'”
Volton Wright —- “Don’t Go”
King George —- “Girl You Got It”

Best Mid-Tempo Song: Play the original and remix back to back to get the true mid-tempo groove…

Tucka —– “Jukebox Lover”

Listen to Tucka singing “Jukebox Lover” on YouTube.

Tucka feat. King George —– “Jukebox Lover (Remix)”

Listen to Tucka & King George singing “Jukebox Lover Remix” on YouTube.

See Tucka #1 The New Generation.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

 

Best Club Song Nominees

Jus Epik & Money Waters —- “Country Girl”
King George —- “Keep On Rollin'”
Jeter Jones, Volton Wright & R&B Pooh —- “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now”
West Love —- “Work It”
Nelson Curry —- “Juke Joint 2K”
Ciddy Boi P & Mz. Connie —- “Corner Store”
Pokey Bear —- “Here Come Pokey”
DeMond Crump (posthumous) —- “Party Too Hard”
Sweet Nay —- “Been A Boss”
Donnie Ray —- “Let Me Ride That Pony”
Stephanie McDee —- “Let Me Take You There”
Arthur Young —- “Just Another Friday”
Jeter Jones, R&B Pooh & Volton Wright —- “Saddle Up (Remix)”
“Flex” —- Cupid

Best Club Song:
It wasn’t the usual fast jam but it was the song that got everybody on the dance floor…

King George —– “Keep On Rollin’”

Listen to King George singing “Keep On Rollin'” on YouTube.

See King George #4 The New Generation.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

 

Best Ballad Nominees

Marcellus The Singer —- “Toxic Love”
J-Wonn —- “Mr. Right Now”
Rosalyn Candy —- “Ooh Aah”
Big G —- “My Lucky Day”
Dre Walker & J-Wonn —- “Overnight Stay”
Jay Morris Group —- “I Love It Here”
Jeter Jones —- “Come To The Trailride”
Willie Clayton —- “Don’t Make Me Beg”
LaMorris Williams —- “Bad Bitch”
Ronald Isley & Beyonce —- “Make Me Say It Again”
David Brinston & Mr. Frayser —- “Lucky”
“You Ain’t Gotta Cry No More” —- J’Cenae feat. Wendell B

Best Ballad:
His most evocative since “I Got This Record”…

J-Wonn —– “Mr. Right Now”

Listen to J-Wonn singing “Mr. Right Now” on YouTube.

See J-Wonn #7 The New Generation.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

 

Best Female Vocalist Nominees

K. Renaa —- “She Could Never Be Me”
Karen Wolfe —- “Let’s Play”
Lacee —- “You Don’t Need It”
Ms. Jody —- “I’m Gonna Ride That Black Horse”
Val McKnight —- “I’m A Do It All Woman”
Mz. Connie —- “Corner Store”
Stephanie McDee —- “Let Me Take You There”
J’Cenae —- “Ain’t Nobody”
Sassy D —- “Older Woman”
West Love —- “Work It”
Rosalyn Candy —- “Ooh Aah”
Carolyn Staten —- “Somebody Gotta Leave”
DeShay —- “Keep On Rolling (Replay)”
Tasha Mac —- “Get On Out Of Here”
Miss Lady Blues —- “Good Woman”

Best Female Vocalist:
With “Stef” barking out party-starter euphemisms like a dominatrix cracking a leather whip…

Stepanie McDee —– “Let Me Take You There”

Listen to Stephanie McDee singing “Let Me Take You There” on YouTube.

See Stephanie McDee #53 The 21st Century.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Male Vocalist Nominees

J-Wonn —- “Mr. Right Now”
Big G —- “My Lucky Day”
Vick Allen —- “Double Crosser”
King George —- “Keep On Rollin’,” “Can’t Stay Too Long”
Jeter Jones —- “Come To The Trailride,” “Country Boy (Remix)”
Tucka —- “Jukebox Lover”
Poke Bear —- “Here Come Pokey”
Avail Hollywood —- “I Had To Lie”
LaMorris Williams —- “If My Girl Can’t Come,” “Bad Bitch”
Ciddy Boi P —- “Can I Get It,” “Corner Store”
Stan Butler —- “Whoop Dat Preacher,” “My Deaf Brother”
P2K DaDiddy —- “U-Turn”
Kinnie Ken —- “Mrs. Parker”
Arthur Young —- “This Time It Was Me”

Best Male Vocalist:
For all the accolades received, KG was still under-rated as a vocalist…

King George —– “Keep On Rollin’,” “Can’t Stay Too Long”

Listen to King George singing “Keep On Rollin'” on YouTube.

See King George #4 The New Generation.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

 

Best Song By Longtime Veteran Nominees

T.K. Soul —- “Gonna Do Right”
Willie Clayton —- “Don’t Make Me Beg”
Karen Wolfe —- “Let’s Play”
Lenny Williams —- “Week Day Blues”
Nelson Curry —- “Party With Friends”
Vick Allen —-“Mississippi Girl”
David Brinston —- “Lucky”
William Bell—- “One Step Closer To Home”
Ms. Jody —- “I’m Gonna Ride That Black Horse”
Carl Sims —- “You Don’t Have To Be A Star”
Donnie Ray —- “Let Me Ride That Pony”
Stephanie McDee —- “Let Me Take You There”
Theodis Ealey —- “Brown Liquor”

Best Song By Longtime Veteran:
Proving old-school is still relevant…

Willie Clayton —– “Don’t Make Me Beg”

Listen to Willie Clayton singing “Don’t Make Me Beg” on YouTube.

See Willie Clayton #3 The 21st Century.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

 

Best Debut Nominees

King George —- “Keep On Rollin'”
Country Boy —- “I’m Just A Country Boy”
F.P.J. —- “If You Gone Pop It” (w/ J-Wonn)
Jus Epik —- “Country Girl” (w/ Money Waters)
C. Jones —- “Mr. Willie”
Mr. Hollywood (Calvin Jenkins) —- Ms. Fine Thang
Binky Womack —- “Magic Woman”
Harrison Hollingquest —- “Making Plans”
Ciddy Boi P —- “Can I Get It?” (w/ Till 1, Mississippi Hummin’ Boy), “Corner Store” (w/ Mz. Connie)
Calvin Taylor —- “Keep It 100”
Chu’Zu & Vince Tucker —- “Country Boy (Remix)” (w/ Jeter Jones)
Lil’ C.J. —- “Step Into My Room”
Ms. Ty —- “Tell Me How You Want It” (w/ Arthur Young)
Augusta Walker —- “Talk To Yo Ole Lady”
Memphis Jackson —- “Fine Ass Girl”
S. Dott —- “Slow Wind” (w/ Coray Broussard)
Dre Walker —- “Overnight Stay” (w/ J-Wonn)
Marcellus The Singer —- “Toxic Love”
Mr. Don’t Leave” —- “I Swear” (w/ Johnny James)

January 29, 2022:
Oh, oh…You forgot this powerhouse of an artist launched as an unknown in 2022?…

King George —– “Keep On Rollin’”

Listen to King George singing “Keep On Rollin'” on YouTube.

See King George #4 The New Generation.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

 

Best Collaboration Nominees

Ain’t No Stopping Us Now” —- Jeter Jones, Volton Wright & R&B Pooh
“Look Good To Me” —- J-Wonn & T.K. Soul
“Jukebox Lover” —- Tucka & King George
“U-Turn” —- P2K DaDiddy & King George
“Good Wood” —- Big Yayo & Kenne’ Wayne
“Country Boy (Remix) —- Vince Tucker, Jeter Jones & Chu’Zu
“Can I Get It?” —- Ciddy Boi P, Till 1 & Mississippi Hummin’ Boy
“Corner Store” —- Ciddy Boi P & Mz. Connie
“Make Me Say It Again” —- Ronald Isley & Beyonce
“I Don’t Ever Want To Break Up” —- J’Cenae & Wendell B.
“Country Girl” —- Jus Epik & Money Waters

Best Collaboration:
This runner-up for Best Debut crushed it in the “collaboration” category…

Ciddy Boi P feat. Till 1 & Mississippi Hummin’ Boy —– “Can I Get It?,” Ciddy Boi P feat Mz. Connie —– “Corner Store”

Listen to Ciddy Boi P, Till 1 & Mississippi Hummin’ Boy singing “Can I Get It?” on YouTube.

See Ciddy Boi P.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Out-Of-Left-Field Song Nominees

“Keep On Rollin'” —- King George
“Mr. Uber Man” —- EPK (Eric Perkins)
“Down In The Woods” —- Unkle Eddie
“Truck Driving Baddie” —- Lokey Kountry
“She’s Running From Dick To Dick” —- Billy “Soul” Bonds
“50 Bottles Of Champagne” —- Highway Heavy feat. Champagne
“I Swear” —- Mr. Don’t Leave (Calvin Jenkins) feat. Johnny James
“Two Steps” —- King Fred feat. Shae Shae
“Thunder & Showers” —- Poka Jones & Sweet Nay
“Country Boy (Remix)” —– Chu’Zu, Vince Tucker & Jeter Jones

Best Out-Of-Left-Field Song:
A superhuman baritone, an in-your-face rapper and the Kang of Trailride Blues in a lollapalooza of a production…

Chu’Zu, Vince Tucker & Jeter Jones —– “Country Boy Remix”

Listen to Vince Tucker, Chu’Zu & Jeter Jones singing “Country Boy (Remix)” on YouTube.

See Jeter Jones #9 The New Generation.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

 

Best Chitlin’ Circuit Blues Song Nominees

“One Step Closer To Home” —- William Bell
“Poundtown” —- David Brinston
“Can’t Stay Too Long” —- King George
“My Deaf Brother” —- Stan Butler
“Work It” —- West Love
“Let’s Play” —- Karen Wolfe
“Brown Liquor” —- Theodis Ealey
“Love Dem Blues” —- Narvel Echols
“Down In The Woods” —- Unkle Eddie
“Country Boy (Remix)” —- Chu’Zu, Vince Tucker & Jeter Jones”
“Leave & Party” —- King George

Best Chitlin’ Circuit Blues Song:
Just listen to the lyrics…

King George —– “Can’t Stay Too Long”

Listen to King George singing “Can’t Stay Too Long” on YouTube.

See King George #4 The New Generation.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Cover Song Nominees

“Can’t Let Go” —- Breeze MrDo2Much (Sir Charles Jones “Just Can’t Let Go”)
“This Time It Was Me” —- Arthur Young (Ronnie Lovejoy “Sho Wasn’t Me”)
“Dhat Juicy” —- Tasha Mac (Mtume “Juicy Fruit”)
“Somebody Gotta Leave” —- Carolyn Staten (King George “Keep On Rollin'”)
“Keep On Rolling Reply” —- DeShay (King George “Keep On Rollin'”)
“You Got To Leave (The Clapback Track)” —- Redd Velvet (King George “Keep On Rollin'”)
“Bae Changed Me” —- Sky Whatley (King George “Keep On Rollin'”)

Best Cover Song:

Arthur Young —– “This Time It Was Me”
Updating “Sho’ Wasn’t Me” for a new generation…

Listen to Arthur Young singing “This Time It Was Me” on YouTube.

See Arthur Young #18 The New Generation.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best-Produced Song Nominees

King George —- “Keep On Rollin'”
Tucka —- “Jukebox Lover”
Tucka & King George —- “Jukebox Lover (Remix)”
William Bell —- “One Step Closer To Home”
Stephanie McDee —- “Let Me Take You There”
Chu’Zu, Vince Tucker & Jeter Jones —- “Country Boy (Remix)”
King George —- “Friday Night”
J-Wonn —- “Mr.Right Now”
LaMorris Williams —- “Bad Bitch”
Ciddy Boi P, Till 1 & Mississippi Hummin’ Boy —- “Can I Get It?”
C. Jones —- “Mr. Willy”
Willie Clayton —- “Don’t Make Me Beg”
Avail Hollywood —- “I Had To Lie”

Best-Produced Song:
The juxtaposition of the iconic, clanging guitar chords, the strings and the vocal…

Tucka —– “Jukebox Lover”

Listen to Tucka singing “Jukebox Lover” on YouTube.

See Tucka #1 The New Generation.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Album Nominees

Da Legend Of Sweet Jeter Jones —- Jeter Jones
Good Vibes (It’s A Party) —- Sweet Nay
Evolution Of Soul —- Nelson Curry
Drank My Liquor And Talk To Me —- Arthur Young
Mr. Right Now —- J-Wonn
Juke Joint Music —- King George
Tell My Story —- Jay Morris Group
Mutant: Stolen Dreams —- LaMorris Williams
My Lucky Day —- Big G
Love Me Right —- Volton Wright
Love, Lies & Loyalty —- Avail Hollywood
Back To The Blues —- Arthur Young
Caesar Soul & Blues —- Willie Clayton
Wilson, Last Name Meadows —- Wilson Meadows
Good Good Lovin’ —- Crystal Thomas
I’m Just The Man For You —- Donnie Ray
Dee Dee Simon —- Dee Dee Simon
Young Goat Of The Blues —- Tyree Neal
Ain’t Nothing Like A Country Boy —- Val McKnight
Talkin’ In Your Sleep —- Vickie Baker
Cookout Music —- King George
Poundtown —- David Brinston
Fire & Ice Collaboration —- Karen Wolfe

Best Album:

King George —– Juke Joint Music

Buy King George’s Juke Joint Music album at eBay.

See King George #4 The New Generation.

January 1, 2023

2022: THE YEAR IN SOUTHERN SOUL

King George. It was his year…

Prior to 2022, if anyone had suggested that a complete unknown could come out of nowhere and not only dominate southern soul music but change and influence it, rising to headliner status on the prestigious Blues Is Alright Tour by year’s end, they’d have been laughed out of the room. But that’s exactly what South Carolinian King George did. Four of his singles—“Keep On Rollin’,” “Can’t Stay Too Long,” “Friday Night” and “Leave And Party”—made the Top 25 Songs of 2022. Two of those songs, “Keep On Rolling” and “Can’t Stay Too Long,” amassed 32 million and 28 million YouTube views respectively. Artists queued to collaborate, most prominently Tucka with the “Jukebox Lover” remix and P2K with his surprise hit single “U-Turn”. And scores of artists imitated him, recycling his melodies, favoring his mid-range tempos, absorbing his tasty guitar backgrounds, imitating his non-adorned yet confident vocal style.

With the phenomanal “Knee Deep” (now running at 32 million YouTube views) the Jay Morris Group was the hottest thing in southern soul music as 2022 began. Then the hurricane known as King George made landfall and they were blown away like the sand and the dunes—out of sight, out of mind. Female artists rushed to record “answer songs” to King George’s most incendiary single, “Keep On Rollin’,” in the same way, years earlier, female performers had rushed to record ripostes to Pokey Bear’s “My Sidepiece”. Both tunes featured men doing and saying things that normally infuriate women, who make up the overwhelming percentage of the southern soul audience. And yet, through some strange osmosis, what turned off women in real life turned them on when transported to music, ringing a bell and engendering a perverse love of what would normally be hated. The “outlaws” (Pokey, KG) suddenly became sympathetic characters by simply being brave enough to publicize their outrageous behavior. Thus, in concert after concert, King George sang “I gotta have three (women)” to throngs of black women in love with the swagger, enthusiasically pumping their fists in the air and singing those very words along with him.

 

Country was the theme dominating the music in 2022…

Everyone wanted to record their country bonafides. New artists put “country” in their names. Ms. Jody and Val McKnight and Angel Faye Russell and countless other ladies joined the men (Jeter Jones, Arthur Young, Big Yayo, Narvel Echols) and donned cowboy hats. Songs like “Country Girl” (Jus Epik feat. Money Waters) and “Country Boy (Remix)” (Chu’Zu & Vince Tucker feat. Jeter Jones) proliferated monthly.

“Country” has always been a southern soul touchstone, and your Daddy B. Nice has frequently described southern soul music itself as “country soul,” but one person more than any other made the theme of country (“no service on my phone”) trendy and buzz-worthy in 2022: Jeter Jones. In song after song and video after video the Kang of Trailride Blues pounded home the blessings and vicissitudes of rural life and small-town culture, a message that reverberated throughout the genre by virtue of the sheer number of songs and accompanying music videos produced by Jeter, producer Slack and their team of supporting musicians/videographers (2 double-albums, four total, in back-to-back years). And in a year that marked the lowest traditional-record-label publishing on record, Jones Boy Entertainment put out the most music in the southern soul demographic.

 

The big boys were relatively quiet in 2022…

And “the big boys” would include Nellie “Tiger” Travis, whose “Mr. Sexy Man” remains a nationally recognized hit single, and one of those major stars who will be touring in front of stadium-capacity audiences across the country in the coming months in the Blues Is Alright Tour. Pokey Bear put out an Omar Cunningham-written single, “Here Come Pokey,” tailor-made for his swagger. Tucka released two versions of his iconic single “Jukebox Lover”. The original boasted a typically virtuoso vocal. Tucka’s rapping in “The Remix,” however, was reduced to a near mumble in the mix, but it was “all good” and even more popular with the stunning guest addition of King George. King George, by the way, leaped to recurring headliner status on that Blues Is Alright line-up. Sir Charles Jones squeezed into the year’s activity at the last minute with a new solo gospel/contemplative album and a shockingly personal single called “Highway 55”. And Calvin Richardson, the remaining regular on the tour, did what Calvin Richardson does—namely recording nothing in the southern soul vein—apparently content to be the urban r&b “bridge” to the southern soul stars. Finally, Theodis Ealey, Latimore and Lenny Williams, the aging stars of the tour, saw their appearances wane.

 

Old vs. New was the major conflict and competitive dynamic of the industry…

Namely, the overwhelming influx of digital singles airing on the YouTube platform by new and aspiring performers versus the “old,” second tier of stars, formerly “young guns,” who frequently found themselves in the unlikely position of having their product overlooked in the general chaos of new offerings. Included in this group were well-recognized performers like O.B. Buchana, Willie Clayton, T.K. Soul, David Brinston, L.J. Echols, Vick Allen, Avail Hollywood, Ms. Jody, Karen Wolfe, Nelson Curry, Lacee, Big G, LaMorris Williams and even nationally recognized stars such as Bobby Rush and William Bell, who all released distinguished work that did not make the “splash” it had in years past when the pool of artists was much smaller. One industry veteran even told your Daddy B. Nice that she didn’t know why (name witheld) was even recording new material because all the audience wanted to hear was his old songs.

Meanwhile, the new talent flooded the air waves with music teeming with energy and surprise, illustrating Blues Critic’s observation that southern soul music is the easiest genre to break into but the most fiercely competitive. Among the most important new performers were J’Cenae, West Love, Jay Morris Group, Magic One, Arthur Young, P2K, Stan Butler and Adrian Bagher, and even newer artists like Sassy D, Sweet Nay, Ciddy Boi P, Marcellus The Singer, C. Jones, Jus Epik, F.P.J, Carlin Taylor, K. Renaa, Mr. Hollywood, Kinnie Ken, Tasha Mac, Mr. Don’t Leave and Volton Wright, to name only a few. Which brings us around and back to King George, the “new” being exactly what he did. Music self-produced, put out digitally, and consequently blowing up TikTok and YouTube. Actually, KG didn’t even put out his music digitally UNTIL it had blown up social media. The ultimate irony and triumph of King George was that in the very same year he would ace the “Best Debut” awards—normally a “first step” in an artist’s career—he would become a bonafide southern soul superstar and the undisputed recording artist of the year. Take my word for it. It had never been done before. And it left more than one southern soul artist shaking his or her head and wistfully thinking, “If only that had been me…”

R.I.P. in 2022…Memphis’s Bobby O’Jay and Jackson’s Demond Crump.

—Daddy B. Nice

 



 

January 1, 2023

2022: THE YEAR IN SOUTHERN SOUL

Top 25 Southern Soul Singles Of 2022

1. “Keep On Rollin'” by King George
2. “Can’t Stay Too Long” by King George


3.“Jukebox Lover” by Tucka/ “Jukebox Lover (Remix)” by Tucka feat. King George (Take your pick.)
4. “Can I Get It?” by Ciddy Boi P feat. Till 1 & Mississippi Hummin’ Boy

5. “Mr. Willy” by C. Jones

6. “Country Girl” by Jus Epik feat. Money Waters

7. “Here Come Pokey” by Pokey Bear

8. “Friday Night” by King George

9. “Don’t Make Me Beg” by Willie Clayton

10.“Come To The Trailride” by Jeter Jones
11. “My Corner Sto” by Ciddy Boi P feat. Mz. Connie
12. “Leave And Party” by King George

13. “Country Boy (Remix)” by Chu’Zu & Vince Tucker feat. Jeter Jones

14. “Mr. Right Now” by J-Wonn

15. “Keep It 100” by Carlin Taylor feat. Soul Cartel Band

16. “Let Me Take You There” by Stephanie McDee

17. “This Time It Was Me” by Arthur Young

18. “Don’t Go” by Volton Wright

19. “Bad Bitch” by LaMorris Williams
20. “Step Into My Room” by Lil’ CJ
21. “I Swear (Re-
mix)”
 by Mr. Don’t Leave (Eric Hunter) feat. Johnny James

22. “She Could Never Be Me” by K. Renaa

23. “All For You” by Crystal Thomas feat. Crystyle

24. “Magic Woman” by Binky Womack

25. “Ms. Fine Thang” by Mr. Hollywood (Calvin Jenkins)

 



 

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