Earl "Connelly" King born 19 November 1929

Earl 'Connelly' King (19 November 1929 – 11 January 1996) was a R’n’B singer amd record label owner from Philadelphia. 

After finding that Earl Connelly had quite a substantial discography spanning from the 50’s to the 80’s I was rather amazed and puzzled in finding hardly no information regarding his life or career. I have no doubt that as he spent all his life in Philadelphia there will be some reference to him in the local media. Here is the very scant information I could find… 

Earl B. Connelly Jr was born in Philadelphia in 1929, and at the start of his singing career in 1955 he  recorded as Earl King and Earl “Connelly” King for “King” records, releasing almost a dozen records for the label in the mid to late 1950’s. His only chart entry was with the song “Don’t take It So Hard” which reached #7 on the Billboard R&B Chart in 1955. He recorded for Alto Records in 1961 as Earl Connelly and reverted back to Earl Connelly King when recording for Everest in 1962. 

                             

With his wife, Mae Connelly they owned “Maycon” records up until the mid 1980’s. He carried on recording as Earl Connelly right in through to the 1980’s changing style as he went but kept the essential RnB feeling. His last recording session was when he was featured on two tracks of Betty Dunaway’s Macon Gospel LP “He Will Stand By.” 

Earl Connelly died 11 January 1996 in Philadelphia. 

In 2013 Gusto Records released a CD  of only twelve of his many King sides from the 50’s. 

(Info edited  from MD Records, Discogs & AllMusic) 

Please note - Do not confuse with Earl Johnson from NOLA who also recorded under the name "Earl King" for Savoy Records, Ace Records, Imperial and Specialty.