Philippé Wynne

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Philippé Wynne
Background information
Birth name	Phillippe Walker
Also known as	Soul Walker Wynne
Born	(1941-04-03)April 3, 1941 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died	July 14, 1984(1984-07-14) (aged 43) Oakland, California, U.S.
Genres	Soul, funk
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1968–1984
Labels	Atlantic, Sugar Hill

Philippé Wynne (aka Philippe Escalante Wynn; né Walker; April 3, 1941 – July 14, 1984) was an American singer, best known for his role as a lead vocalist of The Spinners (a role he shared with fellow group members Bobby Smith, and Henry Fambrough). Wynne scored notable hits such as "How Could I Let You Get Away", "The Rubberband Man", and "One of a Kind (Love Affair)". After leaving The Spinners, Wynne never regained the same success, although he was featured in hits by other artists such as "(Not Just) Knee Deep" by Funkadelic. Wynne died of a heart attack while performing at a nightclub.

Life and career[]

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and raised in the New Orphanage Asylum for Colored Children in Cincinnati, Ohio^[1] Wynne went to Detroit in the early 60s and began his musical career with his brother Michael Walker as a gospel singer. He soon switched to R&B and attained some measure of success, singing with Bootsy Collins's Pacemakers in 1968 and with James Brown's J.B.'s shortly thereafter. Wynne then spent time in Germany as the lead singer of the Afro Kings, a band from Liberia, before he replaced his cousin, G. C. Cameron, as one of the lead vocalists for The Spinners. He sang with the group until 1977, during which they achieved several successful albums and singles.

Wynne was one of three lead singers of the Spinners, but after several years with the group, he wanted the group's name changed to Philippe Wynn and the Spinners. When this was denied, he left the group and launched a solo career, Alan Thicke was his manager.^[2] With Wynne's departure, neither Wynn nor the Spinners would experience the level of success they had when they were together. Wynne's first album Starting All Over was released on Cotillion Records in 1977 but had limited success and no hit singles.^[2] He was released from his Cotillion Records contract. He began working with George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic in 1979. He performed with them on several recordings, and was a featured vocalist on the Funkadelic single "(Not Just) Knee Deep" (a No. 1 hit on the Billboard R&B chart).^[2] While associated with Parliament-Funkadelic, Wynne also appeared on the Bootsy Collins album Sweat Band. Wynne released what would be his second solo album, Wynne Jammin', in 1980 Uncle Jam Records, a label fronted by George Clinton and Clinton's manager Archie Ivy. However, the album was not a major seller. Wynne made a guest appearance on the song "Something Inside My Head" by Gene Dunlap, and in the song "Whip It" by the Treacherous Three. Wynne's final album was the self-titled , released by Sugar Hill Records in 1984.

On July 13, 1984, while performing at Ivey's nightclub in Oakland, California, Wynne suffered a heart attack and died the following morning.

Family[]

His parents, DeGree Walker and Annie (née Wynn) divorced in November 1947 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Around 1952, Philippe and his three siblings – Annie Walker, who later became an opera singer, Michael Leon Walker, and Margaret Walker – were placed in the New Orphan Asylum for Colored Children (which closed in 1967), in the Avondale neighborhood of Cincinnati, on Van Buren Street. Their father, DeGree Walker, was granted custody after the divorce, although he worked as a contractor in construction and had to travel.^[3] Their mother, Annie, had run off to Detroit with another man.^[4][5]

I guess the hardest part to take was being there and knowing that both of your parents were still alive.

— Philippè Wynne, 1981^[3]

Around 1956, Philippé and his brother, Michael, ran away from the orphanage and headed to Detroit, Michigan to find their mother. In Detroit, the two formed a gospel group called the Walker Singers. This lasted until Philippe adopted his mother's surname, Wynn (initially without an "e"), and moved on to The Spinners as lead singer.^[3][4]

Marriage and children[]

Wynne married Ava Leflor on February 1, 1973, in Las Vegas, Nevada. They had two sons, Emmanuel Wynn (1973–2001) and Alvarez Escalante Wynn (1975–1999). Ava was from the Los Angeles suburb of Compton, California, and the four of them moved back to California after Philippé left The Spinners. Philippé and Ava eventually divorced. Wynne died in 1984. His son Alvarez was killed in a drive-by shooting in Compton in 1999. His other son Emmanuel, who was living in Daytona Beach, Florida, drowned one year later in 2000 while trying to save a man. Emmanuel was posthumously given the Carnegie Medal for his heroism.^[6]

Bibliography[]

• Romanski, Patricia and Holly George-Warren (Editors). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. New York, NY: Fireside, 2005.

Death[]

On July 14, 1984, at the age of 43, Wynne suffered a heart attack while performing at a nightclub in Oakland, California.

Discography[]

Albums[]

• Starting All Over – Cotillion – SD 9920, 1977^[7]
• Wynne Jammin' – Uncle Jam – JZ 36843, 1980^[8]
• Philippe Wynne – Sugarhill – SH-9204, 1984^[9]

References[]

External links[]

• Phillippé Wynne at Discogs
• Philippé Wynne at Find a Grave