Jewel Akens

Jewel Akens ( born September 12, 1933, Houston, Texas, † March 1, 2013 in Inglewood, California ) was an American singer. Mid-1960s, he ended up with the title The Birds And The Bees an international hit.

Life

Akens initially grew up in Houston, where he sang in the church choir. In the late 1940s his family moved with him to Los Angeles. First musical steps he took as a member of The Four Dots, with whom he recorded several singles. At the same time he was active along with his friend Eddie Daniels as a duo Akens & Daniels.

His most successful period began when took him to the record producer Herb Newman for his label Era Records as background singers under contract. Early 1965, Newman took with him the song The Birds and the Bees, whose rhymes had allegedly written Newman's son. The pleasing melody quickly became popular, rose to number 3 on the U.S. Billboard charts and was also placed well in the European charts. In German-speaking German Dorco made ​​with the cover version Today I paint your picture Cindy Lou for further popularization of the composition. The title of Dorco German reached in the German singles charts Place 1

For Akens recording the only big hit of his career remained. The knitted the same pattern Georgie Porgie follow-up single missed the success of his solo debut far. His album The Birds And The Bees, in which he coverte numerous R & B and country standards apart from his two singles titles, had no success. Later he went with the band The Monkees on tour and produced in 1973 for Ted Taylor and Little Johnny Taylor whose common duet album.