US rock'n'roll artist James McCleese, known professionally as Jimmy Soul, was born on 24 August 1942 in Weldon, North Carolina. He began his musical journey at a young age, becoming a preacher at seven and later singing gospel with various groups, including the Nightingales. His stage name, Jimmy Soul, was derived from his congregation. His breakthrough came when he was spotted by Frank Guida and recruited to sing backup for R&B singer Gary US Bonds. In 1962, he released "Twistin' Matilda", a twist version of Harry Belafonte's "Matilda", which reached number 22 on the US charts. His most notable success came with "If You Wanna Be Happy" in 1963, a cover of Roaring Lion's "Ugly Woman". This song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over a million copies. It also reached number 39 in the UK. Despite these early successes, he struggled to maintain his career momentum. He attempted to revive his music career, but eventually left the industry to join the US Army. Jimmy Soul died from a heart attack on 25 June 1988 in Spring Valley, New York, at the age of 45.
