Going by the name of Gene McDaniels in the beginning of his career, this Kansas City-born singer/ songwriter had a couple Top 10 hits with “A Hundred Pounds of Clay” (1961) and “Tower of Strength” (1962), two tracks that would certainly win over mainstream white audiences of that era, when the world of music was still considered innocent, wholesome and non-threatening. It wasn’t until almost 10 years later that he would begin recording under his full name EUGENE McDANIELS, while also incorporating more themes of black consciousness into his songwriting. [Source]
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