J. J. Barnes
Advertisement
Advertisement
Top Related Artists
Biography
Northern soul and R&B singer-songwriter J. J. Barnes - born James Jay Barnes on November 30, 1943, in Detroit, Michigan â was best known for his 1967 hit âBaby Please Come Back Home,â which reached the Top 10 on Billboardâs R&B Singles chart. His musical output in his home country was largely overlooked but he achieved success in England, where he was considered a northern soul icon. He began his recording career in the early 1960s and recorded several singles for various labels including âWonât You Let Me Knowâ (1960), âJust One More Timeâ (1963), and âPlease Let Me Inâ (1965). He signed to Motown as a songwriter but didnât achieve much success. Forming the trio The Holidays with Edwin Starr and Steve Mancha, they scored a hit in 1966 with âIâll Love You Forever,â which climbed to Number 7 on the R&B Singles chart. He achieved solo success in 1967 when his single âBaby Please Come Back Homeâ â released on the Groovesville Records label - reached Number 9 on the R&B Singles chart. Although he didnât release an album to capitalize on the success of the single, several songs were later compiled on the 1969 Rare Stamps, Vol. 1 collection that also featured solo sides from his old bandmate Steve Mancha. Because of Englandâs growing interest in northern soul from the US, J. J. Barnes relocated there for several years and was warmly embraced by soul music lovers. He released a series of singles and two albums â Born Again (1973) and Sara Smile (1977) â and continued to perform live. In 1991, he signed with the Motorcity label and released the album Try It One More Time, produced by Ian Levine. Several compilations of J. J. Barnesâ finest moments have been released over the years including The Groovesville Masters (1998), Baby Please Come Back Home: The Best of J. J. Barnes (2000) and The Very Best of J. J. Barnes (2006). J. J. Barnes died on December 10, 2022, at the age of 79.
Read All
Read Less
Albums
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- Got to Get Rid of You
- My Love Came Tumbling Down
- Open The Door To Your Heart
- You Can Bet Your Love
- Real Humdinger
- My Love Came Tumbling Down featuring J. J. Barnes
- I'll Keep Coming Back
- I've Seen The Light
- Deeper in Love
- Please Let Me In
- That's Just Never Enough
- Whatever Happened To Our Melody
- Hold On To It
- Don't Make Me A Storyteller
- A Love Like Yours
- On Top Of The World
- Help Me
- Love At First Sight
- Won't You Let Me Know
- Send Some Love
- Send Some Love by Ortheia Barnes
- She's Mine
- Can't See Me Leaving You
- Happy Road
