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|
Wess | |
|---|---|
 Wess with
Dori Ghezzi (
Sanremo, 1973) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wesley Johnson |
| Born | August 13, 1945 Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | September 21, 2009 (aged 64) New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, bass guitar |
| Labels | Durium, London, UAR |
Wesley Johnson known by his stage name Wess (August 13, 1945 — September 21, 2009) was an American-born Italian singer and bass guitarist, perhaps mostly known for representing Italy along with Dori Ghezzi at the Eurovision Song Contest 1975 in Stockholm, Sweden, placing third with the song " Era". [1]
Originally from North Carolina, Wess moved to Italy in the 1960s in pursuit of a musical career. He formed a successful duo with Ghezzi and achieved some hits in Italy, such as "Voglio stare con te", "Come stai? Con chi sei?" and " Un corpo e un'anima". Wess also was a singer and played bass guitar for the soul-funk band Wess & The Airedales in the 1960s and early 1970s.
He died in New York during his United States tour when a breathing crisis led to his death. [2]
Personal life
He was the father of Deborah Johnson and UK-based R&B singer Romina Johnson, who often accompanied him as a backing singer. [3]
In popular media
In its winter 2018 issue, Oxford American magazine published an essay about Johnson's life as a young performer in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and how his earliest experiences affected his career in Italy. [4]
See also
References
- ^ Giuntini, Cristina. "Wess (Italy 1975) dies at 64". esctoday. Archived from the original on 25 December 2011.
- ^ "Wess and Dori Ghezzi | Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku". EuroVisionary. 1975-03-22. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
- ^ "About me : Romina Johnson". Romina Johnson.
- ^ "A Teentone in Rome".
External links
| Authority control databases: Artists |
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- 1945 births
- 2009 deaths
- Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Italy
- Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1975
- Italian people of African-American descent
- American male bass guitarists
- 20th-century African-American male singers
- 20th-century American male singers
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century Italian male singers
- 20th-century bass guitarists
- American expatriates in Italy
- American expatriate musicians
- 20th-century American bass guitarists
- London Records artists
- United Artists Records artists
- African-American guitarists
- Italian musician stubs