Bill Coday Born William Chew,

 10th May 1942, Coldwater, Mississippi, U.S.A.

Passed 7th June 2008, Methodist University Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A.

Born in 1942 in Coldwater, Mississippi, Bill Coday spent his early years in Blytheville, Arkansas.

He relocated to Chicago in the early 1960's.

In 1963, he moved to Chicago, and in 1969 was discovered by the singer, and then Crajon label-owner, Denise LaSalle, while performing at the Black Orchid club under the name of Chicago Willie.

'Sixty Minute Teaser' was followed by the ballad 'You're Gonna Want Me' and 'Get Your Lie Straight'.

The latter track was later picked up by the Galaxy imprint, and was followed by two singles for that label, notably, 'When You Find A Fool, Bump His Head' (1971).

The same year Bill released 'Get Your Lies Straight' and his career really took off.

In 1972, a final release for Crajon, 'I'm Back To Collect', was coupled with a re-working of O.V. Wright's 'Jury Of Love (8 Men, 4 Women)', which was also recorded at the Royal Studios.

After Galaxy, Coday recorded a good single, 'I Don't Want To Play This Game', for Epic in 1975, which later featured on that label's 'Lost Soul' compilation album.

Bill then went on to record for Epic Records and Echo Records.

Four other previously unissued Coday sides appeared in the 80's on a now very rare Japanese Vivid Sound album, which also included the best of his released material.

He later set up his own label B & J records based in Memphis, Tennessee.

'You're Gonna Want Me' appeared on the 1992 UK Ace CD compilation of Galaxy masters, 'All Night Long They Played The Blues', four other of his Crajon / Galaxy tracks are on the 1993 UK Ace compilation 'Bad, Bad Whiskey', and his 1975 Epic 'Lost Soul' set is repeated on a 1994 part reissue of that collection under the same title from US Sony / Legacy.

In 1999, 'Put Me In The Mood' was released containing the highly popular 'She's In a Midnight Mood (In The Middle Of The Day)', which received extensive airplay on Jazz FM in the U.K.

'Memories' followed in 2000 on Ecko Records, followed by 'Love Gangster' in 2002.

Bill sadly passed away in Memphis in June 2008. His wife Anna stated that he was due to return to the recording studio a couple of days after his passing.

Bill's funeral arrangements were handled by Wolfe Funeral Home on 7th Street in West Memphis.