James Barry Keefer (born May 17, 1949), known professionally as Keith, is an American vocalist. His best known song was "98.6" which reached No. 7 on Billboard Hot 100 in 1966. He legally changed his name to Bazza Keefer in 1988, in memory of his mother.[1][2][3]
James Barry Keefer was born on May 17, 1949, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.[1]
Keefer earned his first recording contract with Columbia Records.[1] When Jerry Ross moved across to Mercury Records he took Keefer with him, and the singer soon appeared in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with his 1966 solo single, "Ain't Gonna Lie".[1]
He is best remembered for his one-hit wonder hit "98.6"; which was listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 14 weeks in 1966-7, peaking at number 7 for two weeks,[4] and finishing at number 79 on the 1967 year-end chart. It also peaked at number 6 in Canada, number 24 in the UK Singles Chart,[5] and number 25 in Australia. It sold over one million copies worldwide, earning a gold disc.[6] The track was written by Tony Powers (lyrics) and George Fischoff (music), arranged by Joe Renzetti, and was produced by Jerry Ross.[6] 98.6 refers to the body's normal temperature expressed in Fahrenheit.[7]
His debut album, 98.6/Ain't Gonna Lie, was also issued on the Mercury label.
His 1968 second Mercury LP, Out of Crank, failed to sell well.[1] The low point in Keefer's life came when United States Army officials arrested him for draft evasion during a concert tour.[8] "I was making coffee for generals," said Keefer. When he got out, Keith did some independent recording and joined Frank Zappa's 1974 touring band. "I think they brought me in to commercialize Frank," Keefer said.[8] Contrary to popular belief, he never sang in Zappa's band. Soon afterward, he recorded three singles for Zappa's DiscReet Records label.
Keefer recorded one last album in 1969, The Adventures of Keith, for RCA Records. It did not sell well, and he then left the music industry until 1986, when an attempted comeback under his real name proved unsuccessful.[1]
He set up A.I.R. Records in 1986 in Redondo Beach, California, and produced albums for several local musicians. These included the singer-songwriter Chuck Hill, and Keith's drummer Shawn Smith, who were both from Denver, Colorado.
In the 1990s, the singer moved into the television industry, although he continues to play live dates.[3]
Keith and the Admirations
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Record label | B-side | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | UK | ||||
| 1965 | "Caravan of Lonely Men" | – | – | Columbia Records | "Dream" |
Keith
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Record label | B-side | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | UK | AU | CAN | |||||
| 1966 | "Ain't Gonna Lie" | 39 | – | – | 30 | Mercury Records | "Our Love Started All Over Again" | 98.6/Ain't Gonna Lie |
| "98.6" | 7 | 24 | 25 | 6 | "The Teeny Bopper Song" | |||
| 1967 | "Tell Me to My Face" | 37 | 51 | 99 | 22 | "Pretty Little Shy One" | ||
| "Daylight Savin' Time" | 79 | – | – | – | "Happy Walking Around" | Out of Crank | ||
| "Sugar Man" | – | – | – | – | "Easy as Pie" | |||
| "I'm So Proud" | 135 | – | – | 44 | "Candy Candy" | |||
| 1968 | "The Pleasure of Your Company" | – | – | – | – | "Hurry" | ||
| 1969 | "Marstrand" | – | – | – | – | RCA Victor | "The Problem" | The Adventures of Keith |
| 1974 | "In and Out of Love" | – | – | – | – | DiscReet Records | "What Did You Do in the Revolution Dad?" | |
| Year | Album | Billboard 200 | Record label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | 98.6/Ain't Gonna Lie | 124 | Mercury Records |
| Out of Crank | – | ||
| 1969 | The Adventures of Keith | – | RCA Records |
| 2004 | Ain't Gonna Lie | – | RPM Records |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
