Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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FUQUA, Harvey

(b 27 July 1929, Louisville KY; d 6 July 2010, Detroit) Vocalist, writer, producer, mover and shaker in black vocal groups. He formed the Moonglows in Cleveland '51 with Bobby Lester (b 13 January 1930; d 15 October 1980), Alexander Graves (b 17 April 1930), Prentis Barnes (b 1921), and Billy Johnson (b 1924, d 29 April 1987) on guitar. Fuqua sang bass on R&B hits '54-7 on Chess including no. 2 'Sincerely' (covered by the McGuire Sisters for the pop market), 'See-Saw', 'Please Send Me Someone To Love'; he also recorded as Bobby Lester and the Moonlighters on Checker; as Harvey and the Moonglows had '58 hit 'Ten Commandments Of Love' with his bass lead; all those named also crossed over to the pop chart.
      He recruited the Marquees (including Marvin Gaye) for a new edition, then became an A&R man at Chess '60 (hits with Etta James as Etta and Harvey), then took Gaye along to Detroit, forming his own own Harvey and Tri-Phi labels: he signed Johnny Bristol, the Spinners, Junior Walker, and was soon swallowed by Tamla/Motown, there as writer/ producer through the rest of the 1960s (both Fuqua and Gaye married sisters of Motown boss Berry Gordy). He started his own production company, had ten hits in pop Hot 100 '71-5 through RCA, two in top 40 ('I Can Understand It' '73 by New Birth, 'K-Jee' '71 by instrumental NiteLiters). The Return Of The Moonglows charted on RCA '72. He also produced disco star Sylvester. He reunited with Gaye, producing Midnight Love '82 on Columbia.