In Memoriam

Remembering Joe Simon

1943–2021

The Chokin' Kind by Joe Simon — cover art

Joseph Simon was an American soul and R&B musician. He began as a gospel artist singing with the Golden West Singers in the Bay Area in California. A consistent presence on the US charts between 1964 and 1981, Simon charted 51 U.S. Pop and R&B chart hits between 1964 and 1981, including eight times in the US top forty, 38 times in the top 40 of the US R&B chart, with 13 chart hits in Canada. His biggest hits included three number one entries on the US Billboard R&B chart: "The Chokin' Kind" (1969), "Power of Love" (1972), and "Get Down, Get Down " (1975). In 2021, he was one of the 60 nominees for the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.