Gene ‘Daddy G’ Barge, An admired and Durable saxophone playerSongwriter and producer who worked on Hits by Natalie Cole, Oversaw Recordings by Muddy Waters, Performed With The Rolling stones And helped inspire the dance classic Quarter to ThreeHas DiedHe was 98.
He Died in his Sleep on Sunday (Monday in Australia) at his home in chicago, according to Daughter Gina Barge.
Barge’s career spanned much of the post-world war ii era. He was in college jazz combos in the 1940s, backed little richar and james brown when they were started out, played a long, sweeet solo on the ’50s standard Cc rider And collaborated with gary ‘us’ bonds on Quarter to Three And other ’60s party favorite.
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He Later Recorded With Such Blues Greats as Watters, Buddy Guy And Willie Dixon, Co-Produced Cole’s Grammy Award-Winning Single Sophisticated ladyToured with the stones in the early 1980s and even played on public enemy’s New Whirl Odor Album, for which he was credited as “the legendary mr. gene barge.”
Often cited as a precursor to the e street band’s clarence clemons, He Held Rare Status Among Saxophonists – so well know for a time that he was called out by name on two Quarter to Three and the uptempo doo-power number Bristol StompIn which the doovells sing: “It started in Bristol at a Dee Jay Hop/They Hollered and Whistled Never Wanted to Stop/We Pony and We Pony And Twisted And We Rocked With Daddy G.”
In the 1970s and after, He Had Success as a Character Actor in Thrillers and Crime Stories, His Films Including Above the law, The package and The fugitiveBarge was also a consultant for martin scorsese’s documentary The blues,
When the musician was in his 80s, public enemy’s chuck d called Him “The flyest Octogenarian I Know.”
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The Eldest of Eight Children, James Gene Barge Was Born and Raised in Norfolk, Virginia, and Dreamed of Professional Football Before Playing Clarinate with HISH SCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOH SCHOOL MARCHHOL MARCH HIMCHOL MARCH HIMCHOL MARCH HIME He Took Up the Tenor Saxophone Shortly after Ending A Two-Year Stint in the Air Force and Right Before Enrolling in West Virginia State College: HIS FATHER, HIS FATHER, A Wilder in the Navy Yard, Had Been Oone Ritish World War II Soldier.
“The saxophone was the instrument, coming up, that had the sound closest to the human voice,” Barge Told Virginia Living in 2007.
By the 1950s, Barge was jamming with Local Jazz and Rhythm and Blues Groups and Leading the Gene Barge Band. The release of his instrumental CountryA Minor Hit in 1955, Helped Bring on a Bigger Commercial Breakthrough.
Rhythm and Blues Singer Chuck willis invited Him to join his touring band and broughth Willis was recording the sinuous Cc riderWhich topped the r & b charts in 1957 and was covered by elvisley, the grateful dead and many other. The Studio Saxophone Player wasn’t working out, so barge stepped in.
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“They did 27 takes and weight satisfied. So chuck said, ‘look, why don’t you just let let’s run down down one to get the feel,'” He Told Virginia Living“So I Ran down one and they said, ‘hold on, that’s it, you get it. Let’s cut it.’ … and two or three takes later, man, we had cut the song. “
Barge Had Even Greater Success a Few Years Later. He Had Returned to Norfolk, Working with a Legrand Label Owner Frank Guida and Forming the Church Street five, Named for a Major City Roadway. The church street musicians would cut an instrumental, A night with daddy gThat was the basis of Quarter to Three And LED to Barge’s Professional Nickname.
‘Daddy G’ Originally Referred to a Local Preacher, Bishop ‘Daddy’ Grace, One of Whose Churches was Near Legrand and the site for Local Shows that Included Members of the Church Street Five. A night with daddy g was a driving dance track LED by Barge’s Hot Tenor Sax and Influenced by New Orleans Rhythm and Blues. Bonds, A Fellow Legrand Artist and Childhood Friend of Barge’s, Loved the Song. But he thought it needed lyrics, written in his memoir By us bonds That it lacked a “catchy phrase that makes you anticipate the entrere melody.”
“The players were setting up and they started playing A night with daddy g“Bonds Wrote of the Studio Session,” And I Started Singing Some Nonsense and It Occurred to Me That Maybe I COLD Add Some Words. “
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Quarter to ThreeA no. 1 Hit in 1961, BECAME A Rock Standard and A Featured Part of Bruce Springsteen’s Concerts. Now known to many as ‘daddy g,’ Barge would collaborate on other hits with bonds, including School is out and Dear lady twistAnd work with a wide range of artists over the following decades.
With chicago’s chess records, he played on such hits as fontella bass’ Rescue me And produced albums by watters and little milton among others. With Stax records in Memphis, Tennesee, He ARRANGED THE GOSPEL FAVORITES Lord don’t move the mountainBy Inez Andrews, and the Beautiful Zion Baptist Church’s I’ll make it alright,
Barge’s Chicago Connection Helped Lead to His Work With Natalie Cole, Daughter of Nat ‘King’ Cole. He befriended the written-production team of chuck jackson and marvin yancey and helped produce and arrange the 1970s albums Natalie and Unpredictable Among others. In A 2023 Podcast With His Daughter Gina, Barge Remembred the Late SINGER AS Er Father.
Barge’s Own Album, Dance with daddy gCame out in 1965. More recently, he self-resulted olio, which included cameos from bluesman buddy guy guy and soul star otis Clay, and he was on stage ofteen as a memeber of the chicago rhythm and bloes.
“I’m sitting here looking at my horn now, feeling guilty trust I didn’T get enough practice time in today – i’m mad becausee I didn’t a song, Oor the INTRO to A Song. Do. “My philosophy is that you’ve got to move forward, Stay Contemporary, Read, Keep Up with the Young People. Because that that’s the future.”
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