An American singer of R&B/soul and some inspired country songs, with an excellent voice.
Lathan John Adams, b. January 5, 1932 in New Orleans, LA, d. September 14, 1998 in Baton Rouge, LA. A former member of several gospel groups, Adams’ first recordings appeared in 1959 on Ric Records. Three years later he secured a minor R&B success with ‘A Losing Battle’, a slow ballad co-written by Dr. John. In 1968 he joined Shelby Singleton’s SSS International outlet and enjoyed a hit the following year with ‘Reconsider Me’, an inspired piece of country soul. Although subsequent releases failed to match this performance, the strong 1969 album Heart & Soul followed. Adams signed with Atlantic Records in the early 70s, but his work there was disappointing. A later move to Ariola Records resulted in a remake of Conway Twitty’s two-year-old country hit, ‘After All The Good Is Gone’, giving Adams a 1978 US R&B chart entry. He then recorded for various labels, including, notably, Rounder Records. From 1989 Adams enjoyed something of an artistic revival, recording a number of fine albums, including tributes to Percy Mayfield and Doc Pomus, songwriters to whom Adams’ excellent voice was particularly suited. Often referred to as ‘the Tan Canary’, Adams lost his battle against cancer in 1998.