Thomas James Hunt (June 18, 1933 – February 12, 2025) was an American

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

and

northern soul Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the Midlands in the early 1970s. It developed from the British Mod (subculture), mod scene, based on a particular style of African American music, Black American ...

singer, and a 2001

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

Inductee as a member of famed R&B group

the Flamingos The Flamingos are an American doo-wop group formed in Chicago in 1953. The band became popular in mid-to-late 1950s and are best known for their 1959 cover version of "I Only Have Eyes for You". They have since been hailed as being one of the f ...

Early life

Born to Georgianna Derico on June 18, 1933, Hunt started his life in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, Pennsylvania, where his school friends nicknamed him Tommy, a name that stayed with him throughout his entire life. Although music dominated his formative years, as he spent those years practicing for and entering multiple talent shows, he ended up being sent to reform school while still an elementary school student. Released from that school when he was ten, he and his mother subsequently relocated to Chicago.

The Flamingos

After a stint in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

, Hunt went AWOL in order to be with his mother, who was dying. He served time in prison for deserting and, after his release, returned to Chicago where he formed a group called the Five Echoes. While performing in a

nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

, he was approached by Zeke Carey of the Flamingos, and was asked to take Carey's place, as Carey had recently been drafted. Hunt was kept on after Carey returned. In 1959, the group's biggest hit record was "

I Only Have Eyes for You "I Only Have Eyes for You" is a song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin. The song was written for the 1934 film ''Dames (film), Dames'', in which it was performed by Dick Powell. Several other successful recordings of the song were m ...

Solo career

Hunt left the group in 1961 due to musical differences, but within three days he was approached by

Luther Dixon Luther Dixon (August 7, 1931 – October 22, 2009) was an American songwriter, record producer, and singer. Dixon's songs achieved their greatest success in the 1950s and 1960s, and were recorded by Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Jackson 5, B.B ...

and released "Parade of Broken Hearts" which was slow to be picked up by the radio stations. In New York, a disc jockey called Jocko Henderson introduced the song but played the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

by mistake. The track aired was "Human", Hunt's biggest hit in the U.S. His 1962 B-side, "

I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. The song was recorded by Dusty Springfield and it reached No. 3 on the UK chart in 1964. Composition and early versions The song's life be ...

", written by

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

and

Hal David Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David was born and raised in New ...

, and produced by

Leiber and Stoller Leiber and Stoller were an American songwriting and record production duo, consisting of lyricist Jerome Leiber (; April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933). As well as many R&B and pop hits, they wr ...

, was the first recording of the song, which later became a major hit for

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), better known by her stage name Dusty Springfield, was a British singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano voice, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop mus ...

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...

and others. Hunt became a regular performer at

The Apollo ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

in New York alongside such artists as

Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer who was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a master showman and one of th ...

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

and

the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...

the Shirelles The Shirelles were an American girl group formed in Passaic, New Jersey, in 1957. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris (later Addie Harris McF ...

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...

Bo Diddley Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist and singer who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, including Buddy ...

, and

Sam and Dave Sam & Dave were an American soul and R&B duo who performed together from 1961 until 1981. The tenor (higher) voice was Sam Moore (1935–2025) and the baritone/tenor (lower) voice was Dave Prater (1937–1988). Nicknamed "Double Dynamite", " ...

. By 1969, he traveled back to Germany, through Belgium and across the

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

to the United Kingdom.

Northern soul

After several performances in the theater clubs throughout the UK, Hunt sang at the second anniversary of the

Wigan Casino The Wigan Casino is the colloquial name for the nightclub the Casino Club, that operated in Wigan between Friday, August 27 1965 (with Shirley Bassey topping the bill) and 1981, associated with the Northern Soul movement in the UK. The club's end ...

, and there followed success on the

scene. Hunt was approached by Russ Winstanley and Mike Walker of the Casino, and released several hits on

Spark Records Spark Records was a record label started by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller around 1954 in Los Angeles, California. Artists released on Spark Records included Willy & Ruth, The Sly Fox, Ervin "Big Boy" Groves, and The Robins. Leiber and Stoller ...

. The first was a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of a song formerly sung by

Roy Hamilton Roy Hamilton (April 16, 1929 – July 20, 1969) was an American singer. By combining semi-classical technique with traditional black gospel feeling, he brought Soul music, soul to Great American Songbook singing. Hamilton's greatest commercia ...

, titled "Crackin' Up". It peaked at No. 39 in the UK Singles Chart in October 1975. This was followed by another chart success "Loving on the Losing Side" (UK No. 28, 1976). 1982/83 saw Hunt win the Male Vocalist of the Year, presented by ''Club Mirror''. His track, "One Fine Morning", reached No. 44 in the UK chart in December 1976.

Later years

With the decline of the northern soul, Hunt's shows dwindled and he hit the cabaret circuit further afield, moving to

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

in 1986, and traveling the world. In 1996, the first of his recognitions came in the form of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award for the Flamingos contribution to music. In 1997, Hunt relocated to the UK and embarked on a revived northern soul scene. In later years, having turned his hand to songwriting, Hunt penned his autobiography, ''Only Human, My Soulful Life,'' with author, Jan Warburton, which was released in December 2008. Hunt started a new live show as Tommy Hunt & the New Flamingos, with members of the Spanish vocal group Velvet Candles. This show was presented on June 3, 2011, during the Screamin' Summer Festival in

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

, Spain. At the same time, Tommy also joined John Valero and The Black Beltones, and later The Twisted Wheels, that was his backing band in some shows around Spain.Tommy wrote all lyrics of their first álbum reléased in 2024. Hunt died on February 12, 2025, at the age of 91.Soul Legend Tommy Hunt Has Died
/ref>

Awards

The award for the Flamingos from the

Vocal Group Hall of Fame The Vocal Group Hall of Fame & Museum Company Inc. was an American-based hall of fame that honored vocal groups throughout the United States. James E. Winner Jr. was the financial and managing partner of the For-profit corporation. Winner and ...

came in 2000, followed by the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame in 2001. The Flamingos were inducted into the

for their thirty-year contribution to music.

Discography

''The Five Echoes with the Fats Coles Band''

Sabre 102 - "Lonely Mood" / "Baby Come Back to Me" – 1953 (Black Vinyl)
Sabre 102 - "Lonely Mood" / "Baby Come Back to Me" – 1953 (Red Vinyl)

''The Five Echoes''

Sabre 107? - "Why Oh Why" / "That's My Baby" – 1954

''The Flamingos''

Decca 30335 - "The Ladder of Love" / "Let's Make Up" – 1957
Decca 30454 - "Helpless" / "My Faith in You" – 1957
Decca 30687 - "Where Mary Go" / "The Rock and Roll March" – 1958
End 1035 - "Lovers Never Say Goodbye" / "That Love Is You" – 1958
End 1040 - "But Not for Me" / "I Shed a Tear at Your Wedding" – 1959
End 1044 - "At the Prom" / "Love Walked In" – 1959
End 1045 - "I Only Have Eyes for You" / "At the Prom" – 1959
End 1046 - "I Only Have Eyes for You" / "Goodnight Sweetheart" – 1959
Decca 30880 - "Ever Since I Met Lucky" / "Kiss-a-Me" – 1959
End 1055 - "Love Walked In" / "Yours" – 1959
Decca 30948 - "Jerri-Lee" / "Hey Now!" – 1959
End 1062 - "I Was Such a Fool" / "Heavenly Angel" – 1959
End 1065 - "Mi Amore" / "You, Me and the Sea" – 1960
End 1068 - "Nobody Loves Me Like You" / "You, Me and the Sea" – 1960
End 1070 - "Besame Mucha" / "You, Me and the Sea" – 1960
End 1073 - "Mi Amore" / "At Night" – 1960
End 1079 - "When I Fall in Love" / "Beside You" – 1960
End 1085 - "That's Why I Love You" / "Ko Ko Mo" – 1960
End 1092 - "Time Was" / "Dream Girl" – 1960
End 1099 - "My Memories of You" / "I Want to Love You" – 1960

''Tommy Hunt - U.S. singles''

Scepter 1219 - "Human" / "Parade of Broken Hearts" – 1961
Scepter 1226 - "The Door Is Open" / "I'm Wondering" – 1962
Scepter 1231 - "So Lonely" / "The Work Song" – 1962
Scepter 1235 - "Didn't I Tell You She'll Hurt You" / "Poor Millionaire You're So Fine" – 1962
Scepter 1236 - "And I Never Knew" / "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" – 1962
Scepter 1252 - "Do You Really Love Me" / "Son, My Son" – 1963
Scepter 1261 - "I Am a Witness"* / "I'm with You" – 1963 *written by Ed Townsend
Scepter 1275 - "It's All a Bad Dream" / "You Made a Man out of Me" – 1964
Atlantic 2278 - "I Don't Want to Lose You" / "Hold On" – 1965
Capitol 5621 - "I'll Make You Happy" / "The Clown" – 1966
Dynamo 101 - "The Biggest Man" / "Never Love a Robin" – 1967
Dynamo 105 - "Words Can Never Tell It" / "How Can I Be Anything" – 1967
Dynamo 110 - "Complete Man" / "Searchin' for My Love" – 1967
Dynamo 113 - "I Need a Woman of My Own" / "Searchin' for My Baby (Lookin' Everywhere)" – 1967
Dynamo 124 - "Born Free" / "Just a Little Taste (Of Your Sweet Lovin')" – 1968
Private Stock 45,115 - "Loving on the Losing Side" / "Sunshine Girl" – 1976
Collectables Col 030077 - "Oh No Not My Baby" / "Human"* – 1981 *Flip by Tommy Hunt
Town 103 - "The Work Song" / "Please Stay"* – 198? *Flip by The Ivory's

''Tommy Hunt - UK singles''

Top Rank Jar-605 - "The Door Is Open" / "I'm Wondering" – 1962
Polydor 236 - "Mind Body and Soul" / "One Mountain to Climb" – 1972
Spark 1132 - "Crackin' Up" / "Get Out" – 1975
Spark 1146 - "Loving on the Losing Side" / "Sunshine Girl" – 1976
Spark 1148 - "One Fine Morning" / "Sign on the Dotted Line" / "Loving You" – 1976

''Albums''

Scepter SRM 506 (mono) / Scepter SPS 506 (stereo) - ''I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself'' – 1962
Tracks: I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself / The Work Song / Parade of Broken Hearts / You're So Fine / She'll Hurt You So / And I Never Knew / Human / Didn't I Tell You / The Door Is Open / Poor Millionaire / So Lonely / I'm Wondering

Dynamo DM 7001 (mono) / Dynamo DS 8001 (stereo) - ''Tommy Hunt's Greatest Hits'' – 1967
Tracks: The Biggest Man / Comin' on Strong / Words Can Never Tell It / Never Love a Robin / How Can I Be Anything (Without You) / All in the Game / I Believe / Human / Born Free / Everybody's Got a Home (But Me)

Spark SRLP 117 - ''Live at Wigan Casino'' – 1976
Tracks: I Can't Turn You Loose / Get Ready / My Girl / Knock on Wood / Never Can Say Goodbye /// Help Me Make It Through the Night / Crackin' Up / Baby I Need Your Loving

Spark SRLP 120 - ''Sign Of The Times'' – 1976
Tracks: Loving on the Losing Side / Upon My Soul / Get Out / A Miracle Like You / You Got Me Where You Want Me / A Sign of the Times /// Sign on the Dotted Line / Loving You Is / Crackin' Up / Help Me Make It Thru' the Night / Sunshine Girl / Never Can Say Goodbye

Kent 059 - ''Your Man'' – 1986
Tracks: Love / She'll Hurt You Too / Didn't I Tell You / This and Only This / It's All a Bad Dream / I Am a Witness / Make the Night a Little Longer / Oh Lord What Are You Doing to Me /// Human / Your Man / Don't Make Me Over / The Parade of Broken Hearts / I Might Like It / You Made a Man out of Me / Just a Little Taste of Your Sweet Lovin' / Promised Land

References

Bibliography

*Hunt, Tommy. ''Only Human, My Soulful Life'', Bank House Books,

External links

Official Site
*

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, Tommy 1933 births 2025 deaths Singers from Pittsburgh American male singers The Flamingos members Northern soul musicians Polydor Records artists Scepter Records artists Spark (UK record label) artists