The Corsairs

The Corsairs were an American doo wop ensemble from La Grange, North Carolina.

The group consisted of the three Uzzell brothers, Moses, Jay, James and their cousin, George Wooten. Initially they performed as The Gleems, and toured the East Coast, where they were overheard by Abner Spector. Changing their name in 1961 to The Corsairs, they released their first single, "Time Waits" b/w "It Won't Be a Sin" on Smash Records. Switching to Tuff Records- Official Site they released "Smoky Places", which became a nationwide hit after being picked up for national distribution by Chess Records, hitting #10 R&B and #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962.[1] The follow-up, "I'll Take You Home", peaked at #62, and they continued releasing singles until 1964, none of which managed to hit the charts.[2]

"Smoky Places" was used in the 1994 movie, There Goes My Baby,[3] and in the 2006 Sopranos episode "Mayham."[4]

Jay Uzzell (born Jay Dee Uzzell) died on February 1, 2009.[5]

Moses Uzzell Sr. (born Moses Linberg Uzzell) died on May 11, 2013, at age 80.[6]

James Uzzell (born Deacon James Lee Uzzell on December 1, 1937 in Lenoir County, North Carolina) died on September 10, 2014, at age 76.[7]

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed The Corsairs among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.[8]

Members
  • Jay Uzzell
  • James Uzzell
  • Moses Uzzell Sr.
  • George Wooten

Singles
  • "Time Waits" b/w "It Won't Be a Sin" (1961)
  • "Smoky Places" b/w "Thinkin'" (1961, Pop #12, R&B #10)
  • "I'll Take You Home" b/w "Sittin' on Your Doorstep" (1962, Pop #62)
  • "Dancing Shadows" b/w "While" (1962)
  • "At the Stroke of Midnight" b/w "Listen to My Little Heart" (1962)
  • "Stormy" b/w "It's Almost Sunday Morning" (1963)
  • "Save a Little Monkey" b/w "Save a Little Monkey (Instrumental)" (1963)
  • "The Change in You" b/w "On the Spanish Side" (1964, as Landy McNeil & the Corsairs)
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References
  1. Billboard Singles, Allmusic.com
  2. Biography, Allmusic.com
  3. IMDb, There Goes My Baby (1994) - Soundtracks
  4. IMDb, "The Sopranos" Mayham (2006) - Soundtracks
  5. "Jay Dee Uzzell Obituary". Courier News. February 5, 2009. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  6. "Moses L. Uzzell Sr. Obituary". The Star Ledger. May 16, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  7. "Deacon James L. Uzzell December 1, 1937 - September 10, 2014". tributes.com. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  8. Rosen, Jody (June 25, 2019). "Here Are Hundreds More Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in the UMG Fire". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
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