John "Blackfoot" Colbert, known best to soul music fans as J. Blackfoot, died yesterday (November 30, 2011) in Memphis, Tennessee. Colbert first came to prominence as a member of the Soul Children in the 1960s and 70s before scoring a major solo hit in 1984 with the brilliant Southern Soul song, "Taxi."
Colbert was born in Mississippi and was discovered by legendary songwriter David Porter, who helped him become a member of the Bar-Kays after a plane crash decimated that group. After a brief stay there, he became a founding member of the Soul Children, and over the next decade landed big hits like "Hearsay" and "I'll Be the Other Woman."
John "Blackfoot" Colbert, known best to soul music fans as J. Blackfoot, died yesterday (November 30, 2011) in Memphis, Tennessee. Colbert first came to prominence as a member of the Soul Children in the 1960s and 70s before scoring a major solo hit in 1984 with the brilliant Southern Soul song, "Taxi."
Colbert was born in Mississippi and was discovered by legendary songwriter David Porter, who helped him become a member of the Bar-Kays after a plane crash decimated that group. After a brief stay there, he became a founding member of the Soul Children, and over the next decade landed big hits like "Hearsay" and "I'll Be the Other Woman."
After leaving the Soul Children in the early 80s, Colbert, then going by the name J. Blackfoot, went solo and recorded "Taxi," a song reportedly originally written for Johnny Taylor. He made it his own and it became an international smash and his signature song. He had a moderate hit a couple years later with the album U-Turn and the song "Tear Jerker," and continued to record with modest success into the new century. Colbert then helped reform the Soul Children in 2007 for a brief run.
Whether as part of a group or as a solo artist, John Blackfoot Colbert's gravelly, expressive voice absolutely brought life to any kind of material. He will be missed.
(Thank you to SoulTracker Dianne for letting us know about this)