Danny Woods, one of the co-founders of the group Chairmen of the Board, has died at the age of 73.
According to an interview with LuxShop4U from last year, Woods worked with numerous groups and recorded solo sides through the 60’s, signing his first record contract at 19. “They asked me to be in the Spinners, but I turned it down because I was making money on my own. I would say that I am on about 50 records.”
In 1967, Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland left Motown after being one of their premier songwriting teams and formed Invictus Records. Their first act was Chairmen of the Board, formed by bringing General Norman Johnson together with Woods, Eddie Custis and Harrison Kennedy.
The group kicked the new label off in style, scoring three hits in 1970 (“Give Me Just a Little More Time” (#3 Pop / #8 R&B / #3 U.K.), “(You’ve Got Me) Dangling on a String” (#38 Pop / #19 R&B / #5 U.K.) and “Everything’s Tuesday” (#38 Pop / #14 R&B / #12 U.K.)). Their debut album also contained the original version of “Patches” which went on to become a hit for Clarence Carter.
The following year, they had three more hits (“Pay to the Piper” (#13 Pop / #4 R&B / #34 U.K.), “Chairman of the Board” (#42 Pop / #10 R&B / #48 U.K.) and “Hanging on a Memory” (#28 R&B)) before their popularity started to dry up a bit. Only one more song, “Finders Keepers” (1973 / #59 Pop / #7 R&B / #21 U.K.), would have any major success.
Each of the members, including Woods, would go on to record solo efforts but, in 1978, Johnson reformed the group with Woods and sax player Ken Knox and started their own Surfside Records, becoming a major attraction on the east coast Beach Music scene. The band continued to record and perform live until Johnson’s death from lung cancer in 2010.
Woods went on to perform solo and form the group Board of Directors before having to cut back his singing due to illness.
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