Joe Dowell born 23 January 1940

Joe Dowell (born January 23, 1940, Bloomington, Illinois) is an American pop singer.

Playing the guitar and writing songs from the age of thirteen, Dowell made his debut in an amateur talent show in the ninth grade, and later attended the University of Illinois. Joe had, what he calls, his "fourteen-and-a-half-minutes of fame," when his first recording session yielded a number one hit, "Wooden Heart", in 1961.

Elvis Presley had included the song, a centuries old German folk tune, on the soundtrack of his film, GI Blues, and it had become a big hit in Europe, but, RCA Victor had failed to release it as a single in the United States. Recorded at the suggestion of country producer Shelby Singleton, Dowell's version, featuring Ray Stevens on organ, became a phenomenal success. The first single to be released on Mercury's Smash subsidiary, "Wooden Heart" reached the top slot on the Billboard charts within ninety days.

"Wooden Heart", the first single released on Smash Records, shot to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961. Joe was a senior at the University of Illinois when "Wooden Heart" topped the charts. In the wake of his success, Dowell wanted to become a songwriter in his own right, but due to contractual obligations, he was required to sing music owned by Smash's parent company, Mercury Records. He had two further hits, "The Bridge of Love" (US #50) and "Little Red Rented Rowboat" (US #23) in 1963.

Dowell was a victim of the music industry's darker side. Although he prided himself on being a "singer-songwriter", he was forced to record inferior material owned by Mercury. Thus, his debut album, Wooden Heart, was a disappointing showcase of cover tunes. When he rebelled against the practice, Dowell's recording contract was dropped.

Dowell went on to record one single for Monument Records and a folk album in the 1960s, and a number of singles and a gospel album for his own Journey label in the 1970s and 1980s. He also recorded a bicentennial EP for the Boy Scouts of America and radio jingles.

The popularity of Dowell's version of "Wooden Heart" allowed him to remain active as an entertainer. Launching a radio commercial production company, he built an extremely successful career as spokesperson for banks and financial institutions across the United States.

Bear Family Records released a CD on Joe Dowell's music, including unreleased recordings.

 (info edited from Wikipedia & AMG)