Gene McDaniels
Singer/Songwriter best known for “A Hundred Pounds of Clay”
1935 – 2011
Gene McDaniels best known for hits like “A Hundred Pounds of Clay” and “Tower of Strength,” died at his Maine home on Friday, July 29, 2011. McDaniels was born Feb. 12, 1935 in Kansas and lived in Omaha until moving to Los Angeles. During the early 1960s McDaniels reached the top 10 on the Billboard charts three times over the course of two years. His highest mark, No. 3, came for “A Hundred Pounds of Clay” in 1961. That same year his “Tower of Strength” reached No. 5 and later “Chip Chip,” at No. 10. Lesser hits followed but he made his biggest impact writing soul and R&B standards for others. McDaniels’ best known track, “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” was a chart-topping hit for Roberta Flack in 1974 (not to be confused with the Bad Company track) and he delivered songs for other legends such as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Johnny Mathis. He was 76 years young.
