Jay Black, of Jay & the Americans, has passed away. He was 82 y/o.
There were three iterations of Jay and the Americans–and all three had lead singers named Jay–but it was Jay Black, who could hit notes that even opera singers find challenging, who fronted their biggest hits.
Together, with the other “Americans” including singer Kenny Vance, their sound is etched into Boomer’s memories with songs such as “Cara Mia” (summer, 1965) and their late 60’s cover of The Drifters “This Magic Moment.”
Jay and the Americans’ biggest hit was “Come A Little Bit Closer.” (Fall, 1964).