(February 1, 2022) We have belatedly learned of the passing of “Send My Baby Back” singer Freddie Hughes. The Oakland based singer (and father of for Tower of Power vocalist Derick Hughes) was an institution in the Bay area, where he had lived virtually his whole life. He was 79.
Hughes spent much of his career as a background singer for A-list stars like Aretha Franklin, as well as a part of several local vocal groups, including the Four Rivers and the Markeets. But it was Hughes solo performance on 1968’s “Send My Baby Back” that brought him national attention and high chart action. His expressive tenor voice was the perfect fit for the bluesy, piano driven number.
“Send My Baby Back” became Hughes’ signature song, and also the highlight of his recording career, which went on for another decade. He continued after that to find loving audiences around the world, who made his infrequent recordings soul classics, and back home in the Bay Area, where he continued to perform regularly.
