|
He died on Sunday at his home in Blackwood, New Jersey, where
he lived for 35 years.
"He will be deeply missed forever," Blanche Williams, Paul's
wife of 50 years, told Reuters on Monday. "He had a long career
of 65 years, and he touched the lives of his fans and friends
all over the world."
Paul, born and raised in north Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was
among those connected with the unique Philadelphia soul sound
and credited with socially conscious 1960s era civil rights
music, his website said.
He began his singing career at age 11 and attended local music
schools in Philadelphia, the website said. When he was 16, he
played at a local club on the same bill as Charlie Parker, who
died later that year.
Paul's growing popularity led to concerts with Dinah Washington,
Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Sammy Davis Jr. and Roberta Flack, the
website said.
He changed his name in the early 1960s from Paul Williams to
Billy Paul to avoid confusion with other musicians, his wife
said.
Paul was drafted and served in the U.S. Army in 1957 with Elvis
Presley, Bing Crosby's son Gary Crosby and other musicians, the
website said. Paul and Crosby started a jazz band together and
asked Presley to join them, but he said he wanted to take a
break from music and work as a jeep driver, according to Paul's
website.
In addition to singing, Paul also boxed in the Army, the website
said.
Paul announced his on-stage retirement in 1989 but he continued
to perform live and record.
Paul filed a federal lawsuit in Los Angeles against Nike and an
advertising agency after the company started airing a commercial
in 2000 featuring track and field athlete Marion Jones and
Paul's "Me and Mrs. Jones."
The lawsuit was successful, and he was awarded an unspecified
amount of money in the case, Williams said.
After the Nike lawsuit, Paul also sued his former record company
for unpaid royalties for "Me and Mrs. Jones," and a jury awarded
him $500,000, the website said.
(Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales; Editing by Tom Brown)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
