Robert Leslie Emmerson (17 September 1944 – 10 December 2021) was a Canadian musician and singer. He was the

lead vocalist The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

and

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselve ...

for the band

Five Man Electrical Band The Five Man Electrical Band (known as The Staccatos from 1963 to 1968) is a Canadian rock music, rock band from Ottawa, Ontario. They had many hits in Canada, including the top 10 entries "Half Past Midnight" (1967) (as The Staccatos), "Absol ...

, and their predecessor band The Staccatos. He also recorded as a solo artist, charting three top 40 hits in Canada, including the #5 hit "Control Of Me".

Career

Emmerson was best known for writing the song " Signs", which was a hit for Emmerson's Five Man Electrical Band in 1971 and also a hit for the band Tesla in 1990. Both versions of the song sold approximately 1.5 million copies at the time of each respective release. In 2004, the song was sampled by

Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known as Fatboy Slim, is an English musician and DJ who helped popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. His music makes extensive use of Sampling (music), samples from eclectic ...

in the platinum-selling song " Don't Let the Man Get You Down". Particularly as a result of the Fatboy Slim sampling, Emmerson earned enough money from royalties on "Signs" that he could support an average lifestyle without working. He started his solo career while still a member of Five Man Electrical Band. His first solo hit "Control Of Me" was released in late 1972, and peaked at #5 in early 1973. The follow-up single, "Cry Your Eyes Out", reached a peak of #18 on '' RPM Weekly's'' Top Singles chart in September 1973. Emmerson released two more charting solo singles in 1974 and 1975 while still with the Five Man Electrical Band, but his only release after the band broke up was the non-charting single "Borderline" in 1977. No other material was released by Emmerson until 2007, when ''The Sound City Sessions'' appeared. This album consisted of material recorded in 1976 and 1977, including "Borderline", and remains Emmerson's only solo album; his other solo singles have never been released on LP or CD.

Death

Emmerson died from complications of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

on 10 December 2021, during the

COVID-19 pandemic in Ottawa The COVID-19 pandemic in Ottawa is part of the global ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Ottawa is the fourth most ...

. He was 77.

Discography

Singles

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Emmerson, Les 1944 births 2021 deaths Canadian male singers Canadian rock singers Canadian male songwriters Singers from Ottawa Canadian rock guitarists Canadian male guitarists Writers from Ottawa Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada