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Gene Barge, R&B Saxophonist Who Played on Landmark Hits, Dies at 98
Gene Barge, R&B Saxophonist Who Played on Landmark Hits, Dies at 98
Known as Daddy G, he recorded with Jackie Wilson, Chuck Willis and others, but he was best known for the Gary U.S. Bonds smash “Quarter to Three.”
Gene Barge in a scene from the 1978 film “Stony Island.” Though best known as a saxophonist, he also appeared in a number of movies. World Northal
By Bill Friskics-Warren
Published Feb. 4, 2025
Updated Feb. 5, 2025, 1:47 p.m. ET
Gene Barge, one of the last surviving saxophonists of the golden age of R&B, whose career ran the gamut of 20th-century Black popular music, died on Sunday at his home in Chicago. He was 98. ... His death was confirmed by his daughter Gina Barge.
Known by the nickname Daddy G, Mr. Barge played on landmark hits of the rock and soul era, beginning with Chuck Willis’s swinging remake of the blues standard “C.C. Rider.” ... Galvanized by Mr. Barge’s moaning tenor saxophone, “C.C. Rider” reached No. 1 on the R&B chart in 1957 and stalled just outside the Top 10 on the pop chart. In 1963, Mr. Barge was featured on Jimmy Soul’s calypso-derived “If You Wanna Be Happy,” a No. 1 pop and R&B hit.
Mr. Barge also played the wailing tenor part on Fontella Bass’s “Rescue Me” (1965) and supplied the rhythmic drive, with members of the Motown house band the Funk Brothers, for Jackie Wilson’s “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me (Higher and Higher)” (1967). Both records topped the R&B chart and crossed over to become Top 10 pop hits.
Mr. Barge’s greatest acclaim came in 1961 with “Quarter to Three,” a No. 1 pop single recorded with the R&B shouter Gary U.S. Bonds. Legrand Records, via J.P. Roth Collection
His greatest acclaim, though, came in 1961 with “Quarter to Three,” a No. 1 pop single recorded with the R&B shouter Gary U.S. Bonds. Hoping to capitalize on the success of “New Orleans,” his first big hit, Mr. Bonds created “Quarter to Three” by adding lyrics to “A Night With Daddy G,” a churning instrumental that Mr. Barge had recently written and recorded with his band the Church Street Five.
{snip}
Mr. Barge in 1984. He remained active into the 2000s, working on Martin Scorsese’s 2003 PBS documentary series “The Blues” and playing on records like Public Enemy’s “Superman’s Black in the Building.” Paul Natkin/Getty Images
{snip}
Mr. Bonds created “Quarter to Three” by adding lyrics to “A Night With Daddy G,” a churning instrumental that Mr. Barge had written and recorded with his band the Church Street Five. Ace
{snip}
Ash Wu contributed reporting.
A correction was made on Feb. 5, 2025: An earlier version of this obituary misstated Mr. Barge’s middle name and his mother’s given name. His middle name was Garfield, not Gene; and his mother was Esther (Edwards) Barge, not Thelma.
Known as Daddy G, he recorded with Jackie Wilson, Chuck Willis and others, but he was best known for the Gary U.S. Bonds smash “Quarter to Three.”
Gene Barge in a scene from the 1978 film “Stony Island.” Though best known as a saxophonist, he also appeared in a number of movies. World Northal
By Bill Friskics-Warren
Published Feb. 4, 2025
Updated Feb. 5, 2025, 1:47 p.m. ET
Gene Barge, one of the last surviving saxophonists of the golden age of R&B, whose career ran the gamut of 20th-century Black popular music, died on Sunday at his home in Chicago. He was 98. ... His death was confirmed by his daughter Gina Barge.
Known by the nickname Daddy G, Mr. Barge played on landmark hits of the rock and soul era, beginning with Chuck Willis’s swinging remake of the blues standard “C.C. Rider.” ... Galvanized by Mr. Barge’s moaning tenor saxophone, “C.C. Rider” reached No. 1 on the R&B chart in 1957 and stalled just outside the Top 10 on the pop chart. In 1963, Mr. Barge was featured on Jimmy Soul’s calypso-derived “If You Wanna Be Happy,” a No. 1 pop and R&B hit.
Mr. Barge also played the wailing tenor part on Fontella Bass’s “Rescue Me” (1965) and supplied the rhythmic drive, with members of the Motown house band the Funk Brothers, for Jackie Wilson’s “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me (Higher and Higher)” (1967). Both records topped the R&B chart and crossed over to become Top 10 pop hits.
Mr. Barge’s greatest acclaim came in 1961 with “Quarter to Three,” a No. 1 pop single recorded with the R&B shouter Gary U.S. Bonds. Legrand Records, via J.P. Roth Collection
His greatest acclaim, though, came in 1961 with “Quarter to Three,” a No. 1 pop single recorded with the R&B shouter Gary U.S. Bonds. Hoping to capitalize on the success of “New Orleans,” his first big hit, Mr. Bonds created “Quarter to Three” by adding lyrics to “A Night With Daddy G,” a churning instrumental that Mr. Barge had recently written and recorded with his band the Church Street Five.
{snip}
Mr. Barge in 1984. He remained active into the 2000s, working on Martin Scorsese’s 2003 PBS documentary series “The Blues” and playing on records like Public Enemy’s “Superman’s Black in the Building.” Paul Natkin/Getty Images
{snip}
Mr. Bonds created “Quarter to Three” by adding lyrics to “A Night With Daddy G,” a churning instrumental that Mr. Barge had written and recorded with his band the Church Street Five. Ace
{snip}
Ash Wu contributed reporting.
A correction was made on Feb. 5, 2025: An earlier version of this obituary misstated Mr. Barge’s middle name and his mother’s given name. His middle name was Garfield, not Gene; and his mother was Esther (Edwards) Barge, not Thelma.