Jimmie and Vella Cameron
"A Dynamic Duo"
Family Matters
Jimmie and Vella Cameron are natives of Chattanooga. They are the youngest of Jasper Cameron Sr. and Emma Bell Cameron Simmons’s eight children. Growing up in a musical family, they were constantly surrounded with sound. Most notably from their mother, their brother Aaron, their sister Sandra and sister Helen. In 1964, with encouragement from her oldest child, Jasper Jr., Mrs. Simmons moved her family to Los Angeles, California for better opportunities. That move was the beginning of Jimmie and Vella’s professional career.
Jimmie's Start
Jimmie, age 14 at the time of his family's move to Los Angeles, immediately pursued a career in music and theatrics. Through friends and contacts of Jimmie’s, he and Vella were introduced to many top people in the entertainment industry. Some of those meetings resulted in major management, recording and production contracts with such people as: Michael Jeffery (Manager of Jimi Hendrix) and Barry White (Unlimited Gold Records), among others. Befriended by Nichelle Nicoles of Star Trek fame she introduced him to Frank Silvera, founder of the American Theater of Being which was a primarily black theater group in Hollywood at the Coronet Theater. There, Jimmie became one of the up-and-coming in TV, theater, and movies. Jimmie, being the youngest in the group, landed the role of David in the James Baldwin play “the Amen Corner”. Baldwin befriended Jimmie and actually wrote the liner notes for Heartbeat, Jimmie and Vella’s first album, produced by Bobby Womack. Jimmie and Vella were also in the Acapulco, Mexico cast of the hit musical, “Hair” with Vella singing the lead song, “Let The Sun Shine In”.
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A young Jimmie and Vella performing
Rise to Fame
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Photo of Jimmie and Vella from Liberty Records
They got very little airtime on their recordings but Jimmie and Vella did become an underground sensation. They were recognized throughout the industry, and those in the public who were able to experience them, loved them. Being out of the box musically, unique and innovative for young black artists, no one knew what to do with them but they continued. They were also feature in the original Jimi Hendrix movie “Rainbow Bridge”. The director and writer of the movie sent the song that they wrote (Old Men) to Jimi Hendrix’s manager, Michael Jeffries, who immediately wanted to sign them and move them to New York, which he did. There, they became, again, an underground sensation. Jeffries got Jimmie and Vella a record deal at Atlantic Records; the album was called Jimmie and Vella, which again, had no promotion. Yet they were still very popular publicly. Michael Jeffries declared that after he saw Jimmie and Vella to success he would then retire. But he was killed in a plane crash over Spain in 1973. Jimmie and Vella moved back to Los Angeles. In 1972 they got a deal with Barry White and recorded an album called “Song Painters” on the Unlimited Gold Label Columbia. White produced four songs on the album and Jimmie and Vella produced the rest. Yet again, this album was not promoted by Columbia. Filling in as a background singer, Vella toured Brazil, Colombia and the Caribbean, with Barry White and his entourage. Jimmie and Vella remained exceptional with a lot of respect from the industry and the public. Jimmie and Vella continued to enjoy a worldwide fanbase up until this day, in 2022.
A Global Influence
Both Jimmie and Vella are world travelers, and have lived in places like: New York City, Woodstock, and London, England. They have performed on the East and West Coast at many venues such as: Carnegie Hall in New York, City, Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, The Troubadour, The Ash Grove and The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA. The Camerons also toured extensively throughout Europe and performed at many venues including The Rainbow Theater in London, England. They have shared the stage with such artists as: LaBelle, Cat Stevens, Dave Mason, Barry White, Stevie Wonder, Alice Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Pointer Sisters, Bill Withers, Dr John and many others.
Their Music
Jimmie and Vella albums:
Heartbeat - 1968
Jimmie and Vella - 1972
Song Painters - 1981
Jimmie and Vella’s song, “It’s Only Love Doing Its Thing” recorded by Simple Red, was a top10 hit in Europe and is featured on his multi-platinum album, “A New Flame”. 50 Cent’s “21 Questions” was sampled from “It’s Only Love Doing Its Thing” and was a multiplatinum hit and is featured on his multi-platinum, “Get Rich of Die Tryin” album. Barry White’s recording of, “It’s Only Love Doing Its Thing” is featured on his multi-platinum “The Man” album.
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Other Song Credits Include:
Herb Alpert - “Bullish”
Staple Singers - “Chickaboom”
Dilated Peoples - “This Way”
Capone and Noreaga - “Invincible”
Love Unlimited Orchestra - “Wind”
Gene Page Orchestra- “Viva Fernando”
The OJs “Do You Really Know How I Feel”
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In 2004, Jimmie and Vella was awarded three of the most coveted and prestigious ASCAP awards given to their songwriters;
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ASCAP POP MUSIC AWARD
ASCAP RHYTHM & SOUL MUSIC AWARD
ASCAP RAP MUSIC AWARD