John Ellison

John Ellison is an American soul and blues musician recognized for his significant contributions to the development of blues, gospel, soul, and funk music. Ellison joined the Soul Brothers Five in Rochester, New York, becoming the sixth member and prompting the group to rename itself Soul Brothers Six. The band signed with Atlantic Records, where Ellison wrote and recorded the R&B song "Some Kind of Wonderful." As songwriter and lead singer, Ellison helped the group reach No. 91 on the Top 100 with the track. Grand Funk Railroad later released their version, which reached No. 3 on the Hot 100 and achieved platinum status. "Some Kind of Wonderful" has been covered by more than 70 artists, including Rod Stewart, Joss Stone, and Huey Lewis & The News. The Soul Brothers Six were cited as an influence on modern music in Peter Guralnick's book "Sweet Soul Music."

Beyond his signature song, Ellison has collaborated with artists such as Nina Simone, James Brown, Donna Summer, The Temptations, and Wilson Pickett. His songwriting credits include the ballad "I'll Be Loving You," popular in the UK soul scene, "Funky, Funky Way of Making Love," featured in the movie "Lovelace," and "You Can Count on Me," recorded by Latimore.

Ellison has received seven lifetime achievement awards from BMI, including recognition for writing one of the most played songs globally and for surpassing 6 million airplays. He has been inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame and the Rochester Music Hall of Fame. Ellison also received the Arcelor Mittal Dofasco Lifetime Achievement Award at the Hamilton Music Awards, honoring his impact on the music industry. Notably, Ellison has retained ownership of his songs throughout his career.

Ellison authored the autobiography "Some Kind of Wonderful: The John Ellison Story," which addresses the racism and violence he experienced and their influence on his songwriting. He released the single "Wake-Up Call (Black Like Me)," co-composed and produced by Roger Heijster, which received positive coverage in Rolling Stone and Forbes Magazine. The song was nominated for Song of the Year by Pop Awards, and BMI selected it as No. 1 in its "Songs for Change" Spotify playlist. Ellison also released a new version of "Some Kind of Wonderful," serving as the title track for an album featuring eleven new songs produced by Heijster. The single appeared on the first round of ballots for Best American Roots Performance at the Grammy Awards. The song "Let's Get This Party Started" from the album "Some Kind of Wonderful" was nominated Best of Funk by Born & Bred readers poll. With a career spanning more than six decades, Ellison continues to contribute to American roots music through recording, performing, and songwriting.