Born in
Jacksonville, Florida, Bonds lived in
Norfolk, Virginia, in the 1950s when he began singing publicly in church and with a group called the Turks. In the October 24, 1960, edition of
Billboard magazine, it states his name is "U.S. (Ullysses Samuel) Bonds". His first three singles and first album, ''Dance 'Til Quarter to Three
, were released under the U.S. Bonds name, but people assumed it was the name of a group. To avoid confusion, subsequent releases, including his second album Twist Up Calypso'', were made under the name
Gary (U.S.) Bonds. The parentheses were discarded in the 1970s. "Quarter to Three" sold one million records, earning a
gold disc. In the early 1980s, Bonds had a career resurgence with two albums, both of them recorded with
Bruce Springsteen,
Steven Van Zandt, and the
E Street Band.
Dedication was released in 1981, and
On the Line followed in 1982. In 2010, Bonds contributed duet vocals on the song "Umbrella in My Drink" on Southside Johnny's album
Pills and Ammo. While Bonds is mostly known for achievements within rhythm and blues and rock and roll, some of his songs are equally at home in other genres; for example, "
She's All I Got", co-written by
Jerry Williams, Jr. (better known as Swamp Dogg), was nominated for the
Country Music Association's "Song of the Year" in 1972 when it was a big hit for
Johnny Paycheck. (
Freddie North also charted his
only pop hit with a soul cover of the same song.) Bonds is also a 1997 honoree of the
Rhythm & Blues Foundation. He is an accomplished golfer and often played in celebrity
PGA Tour events. ==Discography==