# Joe Dowell > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Joe_Dowell > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Joe_Dowell.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Dowell > Source revision: 1266580403 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American pop singer (1940–2016)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}} '''Joe Dowell''' (January 23, 1940 – February 4, 2016) was an American [pop](/source/pop_music) singer. ==Career== He was born in [Bloomington, Indiana](/source/Bloomington%2C_Indiana),{{cite book|title=[The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music](/source/Encyclopedia_of_Popular_Music)|editor=[Colin Larkin](/source/Colin_Larkin_(writer))|publisher=[Guinness Publishing](/source/Guinness_Publishing)|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=727}} and moved to [Bloomington, Illinois](/source/Bloomington%2C_Illinois), as a child. He first performed at a ninth-grade [talent show](/source/talent_show) and later attended the [University of Illinois](/source/University_of_Illinois). At his first [recording](/source/sound_recording_and_reproduction) session (backed by organist [Ray Stevens](/source/Ray_Stevens)), he sang the tune "[Wooden Heart](/source/Wooden_Heart)", which had been a [hit](/source/hit_record) for [Elvis Presley](/source/Elvis_Presley) in Europe but which was never released as a [single](/source/single_(music)) stateside. In 1961, "Wooden Heart" became the first single released on [Smash Records](/source/Smash_Records) to shoot to No. 1 on the [''Billboard'' Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100). It sold over one million copies and was awarded a [gold disc](/source/music_recording_sales_certification).{{cite book | first= Joseph | last= Murrells | year= 1978 | title= The Book of Golden Discs | edition= 2nd | publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd | location= London | page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/134 134] | isbn= 0-214-20512-6 | url-access= registration | url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/134 }} In the wake of his success, Dowell wanted to become a [songwriter](/source/songwriter) in his own right, but, due to contractual obligations, he was required to sing music owned by Smash's parent company, [Mercury Records](/source/Mercury_Records).[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p24255|pure_url=yes}} Joe Dowell], [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) He had two further hits, "The Bridge of Love" (US No. 50) and "Little Red Rented Rowboat" (US No. 23) but, after struggles with his management, he was dropped from the [label](/source/record_label). Dowell went on to record one single for Monument Records, a folk album in the 1960s, and a number of singles and a gospel album for his own Journey label in the 1970s and 1980s. He also recorded a bicentennial EP at Golden Voice Recording Co in [South Pekin, Illinois](/source/South_Pekin%2C_Illinois), for the [Boy Scouts of America](/source/Boy_Scouts_of_America) and radio jingles.{{cite web | url=http://musicweird.blogspot.com/2014/01/joe-dowell-insanely-complete-post.html | title=Joe Dowell: An insanely complete post-Smash/Mercury discography | website=Musicweird.com | date=January 26, 2014 | access-date=March 29, 2014}} In 2004, [Bear Family Records](/source/Bear_Family_Records) released a CD of Joe Dowell's music, including unreleased recordings. His publicist and friend Johnny Vallis confirmed to the [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press), that Joe Dowell died on February 4, 2016, in Bloomington, Illinois, after suffering a heart attack the prior weekend. He was 76.{{Cite web|url=http://www.usnews.com/news/entertainment/articles/2016-02-04/joe-dowell-had-no-1-hit-with-wooden-heart-dies-at-76|title=Joe Dowell, had No. 1 hit with 'Wooden Heart," dies at 76 - US News|date=February 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206081919/http://www.usnews.com/news/entertainment/articles/2016-02-04/joe-dowell-had-no-1-hit-with-wooden-heart-dies-at-76|access-date=August 24, 2021|archive-date=February 6, 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.register-herald.com/region/joe-dowell-had-no-hit-with-wooden-heart-dies-at/article_fbd18dc3-1104-5d05-88c2-19d02ad273aa.html |title=Joe Dowell, had No. 1 hit with 'Wooden Heart," dies at 76 |access-date=February 4, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20160209232349/http://www.register-herald.com/region/joe-dowell-had-no-hit-with-wooden-heart-dies-at/article_fbd18dc3-1104-5d05-88c2-19d02ad273aa.html |archivedate=February 9, 2016 }} ==Discography== ===Singles=== {|class="sortable wikitable" |- !Year !Title !US
[Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100) !US
[Easy Listening](/source/Easy_Listening) !Label |- | align=center| 1961|| "[Wooden Heart](/source/Wooden_Heart)" / "Little Bo Peep" || align=center| 1 || align=center| 1|| Smash 1708 |- | align=center| 1961|| "The Bridge of Love" / "Just Love Me" || align=center| 50 || align=center| 10|| Smash 1717 |- | align=center| 1962|| "Little Red Rented Rowboat" / "The One I Left for You" || align=center|23|| align=center| --|| Smash 1759 |- | align=center| 1962|| "Poor Little Cupid" / "No Secrets" || align=center|--|| align=center| --|| Smash 1786 |- |} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *{{IMDb name|id=1928161}} * [http://www.mchistory.org/perch/resources/Finding%20Aid%20PDFs/dowell-joe-collection-1.pdf Joe Dowell Collection], McLean County Museum of History {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Dowell, Joe}} Category:1940 births Category:2016 deaths Category:American male singers Category:Singers from Illinois Category:Musicians from Bloomington, Indiana Category:Smash Records artists Category:People from Bloomington, Illinois --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Joe Dowell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Dowell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Dowell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.