On this day, February 17, 1922, Tommy Edwards was born.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_17

• 1922 – Tommy Edwards, American R&B singer-songwriter (d. 1969)

Tommy Edwards



Background information
Birth name: Thomas Jefferson Edwards
Born: October 15, 1922; Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Died: October 23, 1969 (aged 47); Henrico County, Virginia, U.S.
Years active: 1946–1969

Thomas Jefferson Edwards (October 15, 1922 – October 23, 1969) was an American singer and songwriter. His most successful record was the multi-million-selling song "It's All in the Game", becoming the first African-American to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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Career

Born in Richmond, Virginia, Edwards was an R&B singer most remembered for his 1958 hit "It's All in the Game", which appeared in the list of Billboard number-one singles of 1958. He sang his hit song on The Ed Sullivan Show, on September 14, 1958. The song was composed by then-future U.S. Vice-President Charles G. Dawes in 1911 as "Melody in A Major" with lyrics written in 1951 by Carl Sigman. Edwards originally recorded and charted the song in 1951, but it climbed to only no. 18. The better-known 1958 version was on the same record label (MGM) and was backed by the same orchestra leader (Leroy Holmes), but with a different arrangement more suited to the rock and roll-influenced style of the time. As well as topping the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the song also got to number one on the R&B chart and the UK Singles Chart. The single sold over 3.5 million copies globally, earning gold disc status. The gold disc was presented in November 1958. His second biggest hit was his 1959 re-recording of "Please, Mr. Sun" (written by Ramon Martin Getzov and Sid Frank), which reached No. 11. Another of Edwards' hits was "Love Is All We Need" which reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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Tommy Edwards "It’s All In The Game" on The Ed Sullivan Show, September 14, 1958

The Ed Sullivan Show
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Tommy Edwards "It’s All In The Game" on The Ed Sullivan Show, September 14, 1958. Subscribe now to never miss an update: https://ume.lnk.to/EdSullivanSubscribe

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The Ed Sullivan Show was a television variety program that aired on CBS from 1948-1971. For 23 years it aired every Sunday night and played host to the world's greatest talents. The Ed Sullivan Show is well known for bringing rock n' roll music to the forefront of American culture through acts like Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones. The entertainers each week ranged from comedians like Joan Rivers and Rodney Dangerfield, to Broadway stars Julie Andrews and Richard Burton, to pop singers such as Bobby Darin and Petula Clark. It also frequently featured stars of Motown such as The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and The Jackson 5. The Ed Sullivan Show was one of the only places on American television where such a wide variety of popular culture was showcased and its legacy lives on to this day.

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Mon Feb 19, 2024: On February 17, 1922, Tommy Edwards was born.

Fri Feb 17, 2023: On this day, February 17, 1922, Tommy Edwards was born.