Curry was born on November 3, 1936, in the
Bearden neighborhood of
Knoxville, Tennessee. In 1967, he had a hit on the US
R&B chart with "
She Shot A Hole In My Soul", which
Buzz Cason produced. The song was written by Mac Gayden and performed by Gayden and his bandmates Kenny Buttrey and Norbert Putnam. Despite its commercial failure at the time, his 1968 single "I Can't Get A Hold Of Myself" became a
Northern soul anthem from the start of that scene, being played extensively at the
Twisted Wheel Club and
Wigan Casino. Known as "The King Of Beach Music," Curry continued to play in the
Southeastern United States with his brand of Carolina Beach Music, and was inducted into the Beach Music Hall of Fame in 1995, along with his peers
Maurice Williams and
Bill Pinkney. In 1997, Curry recorded an album titled
Tennessee R&B Live with
Earl Gaines and
Roscoe Shelton. Curry joined and backed Faye Adams on her number one R&B smash "Shake a Hand". == Personal life ==