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Artist
Jessy Dixon
12+ albums
gospelsoulsoul jazzSouthern Gospelsinger-songwriter
about
Jessy Dixon born (March 12, 1938 in San Antonio, Texas) is an American gospel singer, songwriter, and pianist, with success among audiences across racial lines. He has three Gold albums and seven Grammy nominations. Born in San Antonio, Texas, Jessy sang and played his first song at the age of five. As a youngster he moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he was heard and discovered by James Cleveland, who was one of the first artists to sing and record Jessy Dixon's compositions, "God Can Do Anything But Fail," and "My God Can Make A Way." The organizers of the Newport Jazz Festival invited him to perform his new song, "The Wicked Shall Cease Their Troubling," at New York's Radio City Music Hall in 1972. After the performance, Jessy and The Jessy Dixon Singers were requested to do four encores. Paul Simon, of Simon and Garfunkel, was in the audience and invited Jessy to share the stage with him as lead vocalist on TV's Saturday Night Live. Not only did they share that performance, Jessy soon found himself touring with Simon across the United States, France, Europe, Canada, Scandinavia, Israel, and Japan. Jessy's affiliation with Paul Simon lasted for eight years, during which time he recorded two albums, Live Rhymin (1974) and Still Crazy After All These Years (1975), both of which sold a million copies. Paul Simon says of his eight-year singing comrade: "Jessy has a rare and joyous musical gift. I have loved gospel music and during the years I have been associated with Jessy
