Edwin Starr American soul singer Date of Birth: 21.01.1942 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Edwin Starr

Edwin Starr, whose real name was Charles Edwin Hatcher, was an American soul singer. He was born in 1942 in Nashville, Tennessee and spent his childhood in Cleveland. In the late 1950s, he formed his first musical group called 'The Future Tones'. In the 1960s, Edwin lived in Detroit, Michigan, where he initially worked with a small record label called 'Ric-Tic' before moving to 'Motown Records'. During this time, he also served in the military.

Edwin Starr's career took off with the release of his song 'Agent Double'O'Soul' in 1965, which was a lighthearted parody of James Bond films. His association with the influential 'Motown' label and its head, Berry Gordy, helped propel his stardom. Some of his notable hits include '25 Miles' and 'I'm Still a Struggling Man'. However, his biggest success came in 1970 with the release of the anti-war anthem 'War', which topped charts worldwide for three weeks. The song became a pacifist anthem and was covered by numerous artists such as Bruce Springsteen and the band 'Laibach'.

In the 1970s, Starr continued to collaborate with 'Motown' and its subsidiary 'Gordy', and later worked with other record labels such as 'GTO', 'Granit', and 'Avatar'. He moved to Britain, where his music evolved from soul to disco. He worked with the influential production team 'Stock, Aitken and Waterman', which paved the way for a new generation of young soul performers. One of the notable collaborations during this time was the club hit 'Whatever Makes Our Love Grow'.

In Europe, Edwin collaborated with various musicians and recorded new versions of his own hits with groups such as the British band 'Utah Saints' and 'The Three Amigos'. In the mid-1980s, he released a tribute to musician Marvin Gaye with the singles 'It Ain't Fair', 'Grapevine', and 'Missiles'. In 1989, he worked with the 'Motorcity Records' label, releasing several singles and the album 'Where Is the Sound'. His single 'Got to Keep On' reached the 16th position in the charts that year. Among his other well-known songs are 'Contact' and 'H.A.P.P.Y. Radio'.

Edwin Starr lived the remainder of his life in Britain. In his later years, he stopped performing and recording. Unlike many of his fellow musicians, he maintained a healthy and moderate lifestyle, abstaining from alcohol and drugs. Unfortunately, he passed away on April 2, 2003, in Nottingham, where he resided at the time, due to heart failure. He was survived by his wife Annette Mary Hatcher, son Andre Hatcher, and two grandchildren.