Imagine scoring a number one R&B hit and then spending the rest of your life being confused with another gospel-trained singer who shares nearly your exact name and who recorded a cover of your biggest song. That was the reality for Johnny Lamont Merrett, known as Little Johnny Taylor. Born in February 1943 in Gregory, Arkansas, he moved to Los Angeles in 1950 and trained his voice in the Mighty Clouds of Joy before pivoting to secular R&B under the influence of Little Willie John. This episode explains why gospel quartet singing built the breath control and raw power that became the bedrock of soul and blues, and why the pop-leaning Los Angeles scene and the Swingin' label could not figure out how to frame a voice that heavy.

In 1963 he moved his focus to San Francisco and signed with Galaxy, a Fantasy Records subsidiary, where pro ...