Tommy Youngblood was born Wilee Lee McEwen in Holly Springs, Mississippi, but got his start in secular show business through Memphis legend Roscoe Gordon, after the usual early gospel background. In Los Angels after an interlude in US armed forces, he joined Jessie Belvin in The Shields and cut “You Cheated You Lied”, which was a huge seller in 1958. As a solo performer he moved firmly into an R&B bag where his huge voice, chock full of authority and power was extremely effective on his sole album The Soul of Tommy Youngblood (Kent, 1970), including a version of “Tobacco Road” and other deep soul cuts. He was also a songwriter of considerable ability, penning the vast majority of his tunes. Sadly in the very frantic and crowded Los Angleles soul blues scene of the 60s he was unable to get a really big hit. He passed away on June 12 2011.
