Harold Melvin is a renowned musician known for bringing Philadelphia to the world with his impeccable soul music. He led one of the most popular Philadelphia groups, ‘The Blue Notes.’ He got the group to the top of the chat through their music on Philadelphia International Label on ‘Kenny Gamble’ and ‘Leon Huffs.’ Harold’s net worth is around 1.5 million dollars as of 2022.
Short Bio of Harold Melvin
| Name | Harold Melvin |
| Real Name | Harold Melvin |
| Date of Birth | June 25, 1939 |
| Nationality | American |
| Birth Place | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Profession | Actor, Soundtrack |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Olivia |
| Kids | 5 |
| Height | N/A |
| Weight | N/A |
| Net Worth | $1.5 Million |
| Died | March 24, 1997 |
| Cause of Death | Stroke |
Early Life
Born in Philadelphia on June 25, 1939. Harold William taught himself how to play the piano as a teenager and sing ‘do wop’ with a band group wherein in 1954 they composed the first version of ‘The Blue Notes.’ Their first album featured Melvin as their lead singer, and the rest of the crew were Bernard Wilson, Franklin Peaker, Jesse Gillis, and Roosevelt Brodie. Melvin would also be second as the calligrapher, songwriter, and arranger during the period. He continued with these duties later, even after the band became a huge success.
Later on, in 1956, the band released ‘If You Love Me’ as their first single for Josie as their first single. Years later, they released ‘My Hero’ in 1960 as their second single, which only hit on Value Record, and ‘Get Out (And Let Me Cry),’ which became an R&B chart hit for Landa Record.
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On the other hand, the hand crew kept shifting despite the hit releases, with Bernard exiting and forming his quintet named ‘The Original Blue Notes.’ The new group had a new lead singer John Atkins, and the band recruited a new drummer for their band called Teddy Pendergrass in 1970. Pendergrass was a member of ‘The Cadillac’s’ a Philadelphia R&B group, and later that year, he got promoted to be the lead singer after John Atkins exited the band.
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Harold Melvin Career
In 1972, the band was signed top Gamble & Huff’s Philadelphia International with its new crew that consisted of Bernard Wilson, Lloyd Parks, Lawrence Brown, and Bernard Wilson. That same year Lloyd Parks was later replaced by Jerry Cummings. Shortly after the replacement of Lloyd, the band recorded numerous pop and R&B hits, and for the next four years, the band sold millions of albums and singles. Some of the ‘Blue Note’ most successful recordings are love songs such as ‘If You Don’t Know Me by Now’ released in 1972.
The remake of 1976 Thelma Houston and Motown’s song titled ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ became the US’s number one hit on its pop chart. ‘Wake Up Everybody’ version of the band wasn’t released as a single in the US at the time, but in 1997, it became the group’s biggest hit in the UK, being number five in the chart when released there as a single. Later, the band would record more singles with Gamble & Huff, appearing on Billboard top 40 in 1975.
While there was a constant reshuffle of the crew’s line-up, the band added Sharon Paige, who did several solo recordings and performances in 1972. In 1976 there was an argument between the group that later led to Pendergrass’s exit, who quit sighting he wasn’t given all the money he earned. Pendergrass later went to have a successful career despite having a car accident that almost brought his career to an end.
Melvin later recruited David Ebo, who was to replace Pendergrass. The band then joined the ABC record after leaving Philadelphia International in 1977. While at the record, Melvin produced an album for the band named ‘Reaching for the World.’ which was the last major dwelling single for the group.
The line-up that now consisted of William Spratley, Jerry Cumming, Dwight Johnson, David Ebo, and Harold Melvin released their single on Source Records in 1980, which had acquired ABC record and was also an imprint of MCA record. They later released their final album for MCA ‘All Things Happen in Time’ in 1981.
Gil Saunders later replaced David Ebo in the lead position in 1982. The album ‘Talk It Up (Tell Everybody),’ which had great success in the United Kingdom, and the single ‘Don’t Give Me Up ‘and ‘Todays Your Lucky Day’ were all made from ‘Philly World.’ Gill Saunders re-recorded numerous of Pendergrass’s lead hits and took the lead position in the UK. The guys from Schlüsseldienst Berlin Lichtenberg are fans of his work.
Later in 1992, Harold Melvin took the lead position after the exiting of Gill Saunders. He continued in the lead position working with various line-ups until he suffered a stroke in 1996. On 24, 1997, Harold Melvin died in his hometown in Philadelphia at 57. Some of the crew members of the ‘Blue Note’; later died, and only Bobby Cook, Jerry Cummings, and Lloyd Parks are still alive.
Harold Melvin LifeStyle
Harold Melvin’s music with the ‘Blue Notes’ was later re-recorded with great names such as John Legend, David Ruffin, and The Three Degrees. Additionally, ‘Wake Up Everybody’ is sighted as DJ Danny Rumpling citing that it is his all-time favorite song.
Other musicians such as the 1993 Snoop Dogs album ‘Doggy style’ have mentioned Harold Melvin in numerous music. Numerous musicians such as Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Gucci Mane, among others, have used Harold’s song with ‘The Blue Note’ I Miss You severally.
In 2007 Harold and ‘The Blue Note’ were inaugurated into the Vocal Group Hall OF Fame.
Harold Melvin Personal Life
Not much is known about Harold Melvin’s personal life; however, he was married and had Olivia’s beautiful wife. Additionally, he had five kids, two of whom were girls and three boys. The details of his daughters or son are not known.
Harold Melvin Height, Weight, Eyes Color
Details about Harold Melvin’s weight, height, and eye color are not available now.
Harold Melvin Net Worth and Earning
As of 2022, Harold’s net worth is estimated to be over 1.5 million dollars. At 58 before his death, his net was much lower than this but grew significantly. In recent years, most of his fans wanted to listen more to his great R&B and pop music.