Earl Nelson born 8 September 1928

Earl Nelson (September 8, 1928 – July 12, 2008), who also performed as Jackie Lee, Chip Nelson, Earl Cosby and Jay Dee, was an American soul singer and songwriter. He started his career in the doo-wop group the Hollywood Flames in the 1950s before founding the R&B duo Bob & Earl with Bobby Byrd. As Jackie Lee, he was best known for his hit song "The Duck" (#14 Pop, #4 R&B). 

Born in Lake Charles, LA, on September 8, 1928, Nelson cut his teeth singing in his church's gospel choir. His family relocated to Los Angeles in 1937, and at age 17 he enlisted in the U.S. Army, working on the construction of the Panama Canal. Upon returning to civilian life he began singing with a variety of Los Angeles-area doo wop and R&B acts, usually in collaboration with vocalist Bobby Byrd (aka Bobby Day). Nelson's lead tenor graces the Hollywood Flames' 1954 single "Buzz Buzz Buzz," and a year later he and Byrd teamed as the Voices to record "Two Things I Love" for the Cash label.

A series of little-noticed efforts followed, credited to various acts including Bobby "Baby Face" Byrd & the Birds as well as Bobby Day & the Satellites, and in 1957 Nelson even headlined the Class label release "I Bow to You." The first Bob & Earl single, "You Made a Boo-Boo," appeared later that same year. Both Nelson and Day were nevertheless working at the Revell Toy Factory when the long-dormant "Buzz Buzz Buzz" emerged as a surprise hit in 1958. While a reassembled Hollywood Flames went on to record a clutch of new material for Class and Ebb, Day also scored a massive solo hit with "Rockin' Robin," and when the Flames sputtered out in the wake of 1960's "Gee Whiz," Nelson revived the Bob & Earl partnership, albeit recruiting former Laurels vocalist Bob Relf to replace the otherwise occupied Day. 

                                     

This incarnation of Bob & Earl first recorded in 1962, cutting a pair of singles ("Don't Ever Leave Me" and "Deep Down Inside") for the Tempe label. After a move to the Marc imprint they recorded "Harlem Shuffle" in 1963, with their friend Barry White on piano, arrangement by Gene Page and production by Fred Smith.

Relf admitted that the track was basically a reworking of "Slauson Shuffletime" by Round Robin, with the location switched from Slauson to the better known New York neighborhood. The gritty, sinuous track remains an R&B landmark, reaching the U.S. Top 50 and becoming an even bigger hit in the U.K.  In a further twist, Bob & Earl later sued Smith, and each won a third of the royalties derived from the track. 

Despite the success of "Harlem Shuffle," Bob & Earl's follow-up releases -- including "My Woman," "Your Lovin' Goes a Long, Long Way," and "Baby I'm Satisfied" -- fared poorly. In 1965 Nelson launched a solo career with the Mira single "Ooh Honey Baby," credited to Earl Cosby. His next effort, the Mirwood label release "The Duck," was instead attributed to Jackie Lee -- the single cracked the R&B Top Five and hit the Top 20 on the pop charts as well, guaranteeing Nelson would continue recording under this latest alias. While he did not return to the charts, Mirwood releases including "Do the Temptation Walk," "The Shotgun and the Duck," "Oh! My Darlin'," and "Darkest Days" all later made Lee an immortal within the ranks of Britain's Northern soul revival culture. 

Singles for ABC-Paramount and Uni followed, and after reuniting with White, who produced the 1974 Warner Bros. comeback attempt "Strange Funky Games and Things" (credited to Jay Dee), his recording career ground to a halt. Nelson nevertheless continued playing live across L.A. for decades to follow -- after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, he died in Los Angeleson  July 12, 2008, at the age of 79. At the time of his death, he had been married three times and he had nine children. 

(Edited from Wikipedia, AllMusic & The Independent)