REAL SCHOOL PEOPLE® LEGACY: Obie Jessie

Several years ago, Obie Jessie asked me to write his bio. We met back in 1978 on Sunset Boulevard. He was one of the people I greeted in passing as I was continuing my commitment to walk the full stretch of Sunset as a newcomer to Los Angeles. He was outside of an office building where he had had a meeting with Otis Blackwell. Yes...The Otis Blackwell also penned as John Davenport who wrote "Great Balls of Fire", "Fever", "Don't Be Cruel" and "All Shook Up."

The Atlanta Jazz Festival with Eddie Davis on trumpet.

Back in the day I met a lot of people. There was no Google even though there was internet closed to the public. It wasn't until Google that I discovered great legacies being created by many of my friends/colleagues. I started talking with them about the possibility of a newsletter about our generation of musicians and artists, performers and the people of our generation that were no longer the focus for the advertisers.

Concert in Japan

Our generation, as our parents' generation, was becoming lost and there was still so much to contribute. We grew up with icons from our parents' generation. Technology was changing, the world wide web was growing. 

When I talked to Obie about it, he said, " Puddin', you are way ahead of your time." I knew it was something I had to do and I launched Real School People in November 2007. It was Obie Jessie who told me, "Attach your name to it. People need to know you and what you do."

In writing, his bio back in 2007, I began to see what an amazing legacy Obie Jessie had forged through his work. His tenacity and role as mentor can not be unrecognized. He was a griot of music history. And yes, his legacy includes some amazing genealogy.

I remember once when he came to visit, we checked iTunes to find the numerous covers of many of his songs. He would visit and he would listen to projects I was working on. I can honestly say that he was very instrumental in many of the things I learned about mixing music and audio. He knew a lot about sound, audio and mastering. Back then, there was real fidelity that wasn't destined to be compromised through a compressed MP3. 

I worked on projects with him and would be in the studio all night. It would take hours before the mix was "right" coupled with that unforgettable sound: the "whir" of the audio tape either in rewind or fast forward. Those are memories that really can't be explained, but remembered. There are many of us who do.

So, in sharing the bio I originally wrote for the incomparable Obie Jessie, you will see the amazing trivia created in his life as a producer, writer, vocalist and musician and entrepreneur. Looking back: it was a true honor to be asked to write about him. I remember when he brought over a huge package of photos, memories and articles. Looking forward: the honor is a treasure.

OBIE JESSIE BIO

If there were a list of the most interestingly, notable, intriguing individuals on the planet, Obie Jessie would be the first on the list. His is a story that celebrates talent, resolve, longevity and knowledge; all enduring graciously throughout the more than 50 years that he has been writing, performing and producing.

He’s toured Europe, Japan and the United States. Using his experience in the industry, he shares knowledge through workshops and seminars on blues, jazz and rock and roll.

Looking at the new model of “career” with which current young artists define success, we realize that their concept of developing a career is thin in comparison to that of Young Jessie. Obie Jessie: who transformed himself from age 15, when the music business was a newer frontier, through 6 decades, commandeering the growth path his career would take.

Blind Lemon Jefferson

To write his story, one must begin before he was born, where the blues runs deep in Obie’s genealogy. It begins with cousin and legendary gospel blues icon in the 1920s, "Blind" Lemon Jefferson who in 1927 wrote “Black Snake Moan” and recorded it on Okeh Records. The sullen, blues song resurfaced in 2007 when Samuel L. Jackson’s character, Lazarus, a broken blues singer performed the song in the film of the same title.

Obie recalls the family accounts of “Blind” Lemon, who died penniless in Chicago seven years before he, Obediah Donnell Jessie was born on December 28, 1936 in the small black suburb of Lincoln Manor, just south of Dallas, Texas.

James Jesse

His father, James Jessie, made his living as a cook, while his mother, Melinda, nicknamed "Plunky", was a homemaker. She played piano in church, and taught Obie how to play ukulele and piano, introducing him to the genres of blues, hillbilly, and the most popular music of the times: jazz.

It was mentor, cousin and trumpet player, Pete Cooley, who inspired Obie as a young child to become a musician. While his first performance was in church, Obie’s first paying gig was playing sax with Shorty Clemons, famous bandleader and notable sax player and who lived in their neighborhood.

By 1946, the Jessie family relocated to Los Angeles. They lived in the South Central section of LA: where the first jazz venues opened in the western United States.

Obie’s mother exposed him to the greatest talents of the day by taking him to concerts along celebrated Central Avenue. These musicians of color, among them, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, The Sweethearts of Rhythm, all created a fabulous ambiance of music and independence within the black community. In the 40s practically every area of the country had a "Black Broadway" due to segregation. 

Obie attended the 49th Street Elementary School and befriended drummer Billy Higgins, also a student. The two best friends performed together at school functions and upon graduation, both received certificates for “the most likely to succeed in music”. They followed each other’s careers until Billy’s passing in 2001.

Obie’s junior high school years were spent at Carver. The summer following graduation from junior high, Obie’s grandmother became ill and he and his mother returned to Texas.

His first semester of high school was spent at Lincoln where he began his study of music and joined the school’s band. It was a year later that his younger brother, Dewayne was born.

Obie with his brother Dewayne

Dewayne as Otis Day

As an adult, Dewayne would portray, Otis Day of Otis Day and the Nights, in the 1978 movie Animal House. Dwayne modeled his character after Obie, enjoying more than a cult following. Otis Day and the Nights evolved into a successful touring music group on the road since 1982.

Obie and DeWayne at the NAACP Awards

Obie returned to LA to complete school at Manual Arts, but transferred to Jefferson where he began his longtime friendship with Johnny “Guitar” Watson. Both young men studied piano and sax with the school’s music director.

It was in the halls of Jefferson High School where the short-lived doo-wop vocal group, The Debonairs was born. Jessie sang baritone along with Arthur Lee Maye (tenor), Thomas “Pete” Fox, (2nd tenor) and A.V. Odum (bass). Amid personnel changes, (A.V. and Arthur left), The Debonairs ceased to exist and became a group with no name, with two additional members: tenor Cornell Gunther, and bass Richard Berry. All attended Jefferson High School, except tenor Beverley Thompson who attended Fremont.

Still a group with no name, but with all personnel in place, they auditioned for Dolphins of Hollywood, a south central label owned by independent record producer John Dolphin and recorded their first single in 1953, I Had A Love, written by Jessie. The group became known as The Hollywood Blue Jays, (not to be confused with another group of older singers with the same name who recorded Cloudy and Raining.)

Despite the rawness of the record, I Had A Love picked up some momentum. At that point the group sought out another label, ditched school for a day and auditioned with Modern Records run by The Bihari Brothers. Under the Modern label they re-recorded I Had A Love and renamed themselves The Flairs, after seeing the name used for one of Modern’s unreleased subsidiary country labels.

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The Flairs 1953

She Wants to Rock was on the flip side of their first release and produced by the prolific songwriting team Lieber and Stoller. (Hot Dog, Jailhouse Rock, and King Creole as well as all The Coasters' hits.)

The Flairs debuted at The Gene Norman Jazz Concert at the Shrine Auditorium and their performances were electric. They gained success, performing throughout LA, Texas, Colorado and Oregon. They recorded, You Should Care For Me, Love Me Girl, This Is The Night For Love, and Lonesome Dessert. To add to their history, The Flairs were on the cover of the first TV Guide ever printed in Los Angeles.

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Lieber and Stoller were instrumental in starting several careers, including, Big Mama Thornton, Etta James as well as Obie Jessie’s solo interests.

They commissioned Jessie to sing vocals on their songs demoed for Elvis Presley, including the songs Don’t and Hound Dog. Elvis wrote to L & S and commented on the polish with which Obie performed the demos.

By late 1954, Obie left The Flairs and focused on his solo career and identity. Because this very mature male voice, came from this young 15 year-old, he debuted as Young Jessie, with I Smell A Rat (1953). Obie explains,’ “Because I sounded like I was forty…I had this deep baritone voice. I could have called myself Obie Jessie, but I didn’t want people to think I was old.”

The Flairs continued to thrive throughout the 60s and disbanded when Cornelius Gunther left the group to join The Coasters.

The day after leaving The Flairs, Obie wrote his most definitive blues hit: “Mary Lou”.

He was now an Atco/Atlantic recording artist with a hit, star power and writing talent. Despite efforts from the Coasters’ manager to forfeit his successful solo career to join the group, Young Jessie did record with the Coasters on their sessions from February-December 1957; but was adamant with regards to not appearing publicly as a member of the group.


During 1958, Jessie reunited with Shorty Rogers, one of the fathers of West Coast Jazz. Obie sang lead jazz vocals, sharing the bill with Shorty and his group The Giants in the LA area. These opportunities with Shorty kept Obie grounded with respect to where his heart was vocally: jazz.

When Modern Records closed its doors in 1957, Obie began working exclusively with Lieber and Stoller who produced the two singles, Shuffle In The Gravel and Margie.

The young 50s teen star worked the Apollo Theatre and toured the country, sometimes sharing the bill with BB King, The Platters, Little Willie John and Bobby Blue Bland, The Coasters as well as friend, Johnny “Guitar” Watson. Young Jessie had releases on Capitol, Vanessa, Bit and Mercury Records.

By 1959, Obie discarded the "Young Jessie" image. He admitted that this most pivotal, career altering decision came while living in New York and meeting Duke Ellington. One can just imagine the rush and excitement in Obie’s soul while speaking with such a legend; and from that brief experience in time, Obie changed from the genre of doo-wop to jazz. Although he had personally emerged from Young Jessie to Obie Jessie, he was still billed with his original moniker.

It takes an artist of perceptive wit to understand the necessity for change, and for one so young to realize the concept, shows a depth of maturity far beyond the age of 19. For him to exit the doo-wop train before the wheels fell off was a deeply intuitive move. It’s no surprise, however, as his mother, Melinda had inducted him into the world of jazz as a young boy.

Obie recorded his first jazz work for Capitol, The Wrong Door. During the early 60s, Jessie was writing and recording on Mercury Records with Quincy Jones. Obie comfortably transitioned as a jazz vocalist and pianist and settled into his niche, in which he was brilliant. In 1962 he cut Be Bop Country Boy and My Country Cousin backed by Bumps Blackwell’s orchestra in the 50s.

He briefly attended Los Angeles City College but left to tour when Mary Lou hit the charts. He later resumed his music education under the renowned jazz pianist, Dolo Coker and further enhanced his professional training through Dick Grove’s School of Music.

From 1964 to 1991 Obie Jessie became a familiar face to the supper club venue with his Obie Jessie Trio and was music director for Esther Phillips from 1976-1981.

He recorded the album Whatever Happened To Jr? with musicians Oscar Brashear, Doug Carn, John Heard, Billie Higgins and Bennie Maupin.

His second CD, “Here’s To Life” is jazz gold, and his unforgettable creation, Trane Home, marked by the positive alliance he had with the late artist, John Coltrane, touches everyone’s soul. The story behind this song starts back in 1957 when Obie had a blues band: Young Jessie and the Deacons, a 6-piece band of jazz musicians. They were due to leave for San Francisco, but one of the horn players was late and missed the gig. Once in San Francisco, sax player Walter Benton introduced his friend John Coltrane at the sound check and Obie hired him for the gig that night.

It’s stories and memories of this texture that makes us long to hear

more about Jessie and it was even more endearing hearing them in his own words.

Obie Jessie has written over 200 songs, among them. Don’t Happen No More, recorded by Pat Benatar, Pie In The Sky and The Man Ain’t Ready by  Esther Phillips. It’s not unusual these days to find much of his work online, covered by numerous blues groups making their mark. His hit Mary Lou has been covered by an innumerable number of blues and pop artists including Ronnie Hawkins, Bob Seeger, Steve Miller and Frank Zappa.

Don't Happen No More-Pat Benetar

The Man Ain't Ready-Esther Phillips

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Obie’s fans are truly blessed by the focused sharing of his experience through his vocal deliverance. It’s all there: every high note and low note, a testament to the integrity and drive it takes to continue to ride the wave in the music business. 

We come into the world as descendants and leave as ancestors. Obediah Donnell Jessie, Young Jessie, Obie Jessie, leaves his descendants a rich legacy of works that are immortal. Many with backstories to be shared for generations to come. His contributions to the entertainment industry are deeply embedded in the early landscape of the entertainment industry. 

It was an honor to work with him and to know him, to share ideas and listen to his wisdom. He mentored many and gave of himself and to his fans tirelessly. 

Thank you for sharing the journey...

Photo for the first issue of Real School People®