Today we wish a very Happy Birthday to the great Al Hudson, lead singer of the terrific 80s band One Way, born June 11, 1954. One of the fun and funky bands to come out of Detroit in the 70s, One Way had good run as hitmakers that extended for a full decade, creating a lot of great music in the process.
Originally founded as Al Hudson and the Soul Partners, the group consisted of singer Hudson, guitarists Dave Roberson and Cortez Harris, bassist Kevin McCord, keyboardist Jonathan “Corky” Meadows, and drummer Gregory Greene. Their three 1970s albums failed to chart, though they landed some middling R&B hits. But the addition of vocalist Alicia Myers and the move to the MCA label started the hit train rolling for the group, which changed its name to One Way feat. Al Hudson, and later simply One Way.
Beginning with 1980s’s “Pop It,” One Way became a dance and funk favorite, landing over two dozen R&B hits during the 80s, most notably the top 10 smashes “Cutie Pie,” “Lady You Are,” “Mr. Groove, “Don’t Think About It,” and “You Better Quit.”
Myers left the group in 1981 for a notable solo career, but the group found success with her successor, Candyce Edwards and later Jeanette Mack-Jackson.
By the 1990s, One Way faded from the recording scene, but continued to tour. In 2019, the music world received a pleasant surprise with the release of New Old School, the first new album by One Way in three decades, with Hudson still at the helm.
Happy birthday, Al!
