Eugene Record


Eugene Booker Record was an American singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was best known as the lead vocalist of the Chicago-based vocal group The Chi-Lites during the 1960s and 1970s and 1980s. He also wrote and produced many of the group's hits in the 1970s on Brunswick Records, as well as writing and producing for other acts. Record had international hits with: "Oh Girl," "Have You Seen Her," "Soulful Strut," and " Give More Power to the People".

Biography

Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, to Booker and Bernice Record, Record was drawn to music through his older sister's involvement as a pianist. He learned to play the guitar and formed his first group while at high school with Robert Lester, who stayed on when they joined up with two members of another local group to form The Hi-Lites and eventually changing the name to The Chi-Lites. After a few unsuccessful singles, the group was signed by Brunswick Records production chief in Chicago, Carl Davis.
Record wrote or co-wrote a long series of hits for the group, including million-sellers "Have You Seen Her" and "Oh Girl", as well as major hits, such as "Homely Girl" and "Give More Power To The People". He also wrote and produced for other artists, mostly on Brunswick, including Acklin, Jackie Wilson, The Lost Generation, Otis Leavill, and later, The Dells and The Impressions.
When Brunswick began to falter due to legal and financial issues in the mid-1970s, Record decided to go solo and released three albums in the late 1970s on Warner Music Group without major success, before re-joining The Chi-Lites in 1980. As well as returning to sing with the group, he teamed up again with Carl Davis, formerly his mentor at Brunswick, to produce and take on executive duties for Davis' Chi-Sound Records label.
Record stayed with The Chi-Lites until the mid-1980s for several albums on various labels before leaving again. Becoming a born-again Christian, he produced a gospel album on his own Evergreen label. He also continued to make occasional guest appearances with the group.
In 1978, he appeared on Saturday Night Live with Michael Palin. He performed "Have You Seen Her" and "Trying to Get to You". In 1979 he recorded his only track which ventured onto the disco scene called, "Magnetism". The record was released on 12" single and, despite being played regularly in local clubs, did not become a hit. His 1977 track entitled "Overdose of Joy" has had a resurgence of interest.

Personal life

Eugene Record was married twice. He first married his high school sweetheart, Sandra Scott, about whom the hit, Have You Seen Her, was written. He later married his second wife, Jacqueline. Record has been erroneously reported to have married Barbara Acklin. They were never married.

Discography (1980-1985)

Record had several hits after rejoining the Chilites in the early 1980s. With Linda F. Williams, writing under the name L. F. Butler and L. Frances Butler had three releases by the Chilites:
He is a co-writer of the 2003 Beyoncé hit record "Crazy in Love", thanks to its sampling of The Chi-Lites' "Are You My Woman ". His writing contribution earned him a Grammy Award.
He died on July 22, 2005, in Chicago, after a long battle with cancer. He was 64.