Cecil Lyde Aka Cecil Holden Interview

Picked up a message from Bob of Sitting In The Park Radio Show to let me know of his latest interview:

Hi. Today on my radio show I interviewed Cecil Lyde aka Cecil Holden. Cecil was a singer and musician that came out of the Evanston music scene. Cecil was related to members of the Foster Brothers and he first performed at a talent show at the Club Delisa when he was only 11 years old. In junior high school Cecil formed a vocal group with Bruce Fisher, Larry Fisher, Ricky Giles, and Sam Jackson; the group called themselves the Cavaliers and performed in local talent shows. After leaving high school, Cecil worked at different record companies on record row, singing backup on bigger groups' records and writing songs.

In the late 60s, Cecil joined the air force and went overseas. On returning in 1970, Cecil, the Fisher Brothers, and Ricky Giles got together to sing again, working with Chess records' producer Charles Stepney doing advertising jingles. Cecil ran into his friend Dudley Fair who had another local Evanston group called the Soul Experience that had just broken up. Dudley brought Cecil and Larry Fisher to sing in the new version of the group called Experience II. Experience II was not just a vocal group but a self contained band; musicians included Jerry Soto, Barry Collins, Tudy Bryson, and Bobby Stringer. The group performed in the Chicago area and, via manager Paul Gallis and Maury Lathowers, signed to Capitol records (the same label that Maury had previously helped sign Evanstonian Patti Drew to). Although the group recorded six songs, they only released one single: "Bout time that I told you baby" / "Freedom train" on Capitol in 1973. The group broke up shortly after the single was released.

Cecil left Chicago to go to LA to pursue music further. At the time Bruce Fisher started working as a songwriter, writing for such artists as Billy Preston, the Blackbyrds, and Quincy Jones. Cecil co-wrote a record, "At the end of a love affair", that was released by Bruce Fisher on United Artists. Bruce helped Cecil, along with Larry Fisher, and Rick Giles, get a deal with United Artists. Although they recorded an entire LP, only one single -- "I'll always love you" / "Serve me right to suffer" -- got released as Lyde, Fisher, & Giles on United Artists' Hab subsidiary. The group soon broke up after the release of the single.

Cecil recorded and released more music on his own Alwest label. He released a solo album called Stone Free that was recently reissued by the P-Vine record label out of Japan. He then released a couple more LPs and a single under the name Home Boy and the COL. He continues to record and release both Gospel and R&B music today. You can check out the interview at my interviews page at:

http://www.sittinginthepark.com/interviews.html

thanks for your interest,

Bob

Don't forget you can still pick up several CDs of Cecil's recordings from CD Baby

You could also read a feature on Cecil Holden over on Soul Treasures