Jewel Akens R.I.P. ?

[jsmith]

It has been posted up on the Southern Soul Forum that Jewel Akens died this afternoon in a Los Angeles hospital.

Is this correct ?
Can anyone confirm that Jewel has indeed passed as I can find nothing about this anywhere else on the net ?
He would be over 70 years old & his track "The Birds & the Bees" was a big US [[Pop Top 10) & UK [[Pop Top 30) hit back in March 1965.

[stephanie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaaVbWD3USI

When I saw your posting I went to youtube and if you look at this link look at the 7th and 8th comment and someone says RIP Uncle Jewel and another person says he passed away yesterday at the age of 72 so it must be true. I know youtube is not an official source but one of the postings looks like its from a relative,
Stephanie

[ralpht]

I always liked that song.

[marv2]

I loved that song as a kid. It was one that was like a sing-a-long type song for kids at the time. Rest in peace Jewell Akens and thanks for the "birds and the bees" song.

[milven]

Can this possibly be another Otis Williams type false alarm?

[theboyfromxtown]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61FwLrRXGf0

[theboyfromxtown]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoCdxV-2h9I

[milven]

They sure are keeping this a secret. I know he wasn't the biggest star in the world, but if he passed, he does deserve a mention somewhere in the papers and on the internet.

Having said that, there have been other times when I read of a passing here and did not read elsewhere til many days later

[kb6kgx]

Can this possibly be another Otis Williams type false alarm?


I saw a posting on Facebook yesterday, from Carol Kaye, bass player formerly of "The Wrecking Crew" and who played on practically every major hit recording during the 60s and 70s, and SHE posted something mentioning that Jewel Akens had passed away yesterday. Today she posted something confirming that he had died.

However, a full day later, there is STILL nothing in the news or on the internet anywhere conforming his death.

So I don't know.

[milven]

They sure are keeping this a secret. I know he wasn't the biggest star in the world, but if he passed, he does deserve a mention somewhere in the papers and on the Internet.

Having said that, there have been other times when I read of a passing here and did not read elsewhere til many days later

And this is one of those times. Having just done a search, I finally found one legitimate source [[only one) that confirms Jewel's death. Our members may get it wrong once in a while, but this remains the place to check out first for info about our favorite singers. Some of our favorite singers may no longer be world wide celebrities and don't get massive news coverage. SDF and its members continue to keep us up to date with the good and the bad news about our favorite singers.

Sympathies to Jewel Atkins' family
Jewel Akens

Singer had hit with 'Birds and Bees'

Jewel Akens, 79, the R&B crooner whose song "The Birds and the Bees" vaulted him into short-lived fame in the mid-1960s, died Friday of complications from back surgery at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, said his wife, Eddie Mae.

Akens began his career in the late 1950s, working with Eddie Daniels and guitar legend Eddie Cochran, and later recorded singles with the Four Dots doo-wop group.

In 1965, he was singing with an ensemble called the Turnarounds when record producer Herb Newman brought them "The Birds and the Bees," written by his teenage son. The rest of the group disliked the tune, but Akens decided to record it solo.

It became an instant hit, rising to the No. 3 spot on the Billboard pop chart in 1965.

"Let me tell you 'bout the birds and the bees, and the flowers and the trees," went the catchy tune, which was later covered by Dean Martin and others.

"No doubt you're already singing the chorus," wrote the Vancouver Province in 2002 when it featured the song on a top-10 list of one-hit wonders.

None of Akens' later singles enjoyed the success of "The Birds and the Bees," but he went on to tour with the Monkees in the 1970s and performed into his 70s.

Jewel Eugene Akens was born Sept. 12, 1933, in Houston, the seventh of nine children in a working-class family. He became interested in music early in life, singing for the church choir as a child.

In 1950, Akens moved with his family from Texas to Los Angeles, where he graduated from Fremont High School. There, he met his future wife, Eddie Mae, whom he married in 1952.



http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-passings-20130305,0,3498750.story

[marv2]

From Newsday Long Island :

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsday/obituary.aspx?n=jewel-akens&pid=163472140#fbLoggedOut