No. Jazz and soul singer, Billy Paul, passed away on April 24, 2016.
Best known for the No. 1 hit ballad and “Philadelphia Soul” classic “Me and Mrs. Jones", Paul died at his home in Blackwood, N.J. The singer had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Billy Paul was born Paul Williams in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up listening to singers such as Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone.
He started singing aged 11, ending up at the Granoff School of Music. He established a growing reputation which led him to New York.
In his early 20s, Paul was drafted into the military and found himself on the same base in Germany with a couple of famous show business names, Elvis Presley and Bing Crosby’s son, Gary.
He continued to perform live until he fell ill. His manager said he had been lining up numerous appearances at the time of his death.
Paul was honored with the Sandy Hosey Lifetime Achievement Award at Artists Music Guild’s 2015 AMG Heritage Awards.
He is survived by his wife, Blanche Williams, with whom he had two children.