When I scheduled a call with John Ellison, I felt a wave of nervousness. It’s not every day you talk to a musician who has been inducted into the Music Hall of Fame in two states—West Virginia and, earlier this year, Rochester, New York, where his band, the Soul Brothers Six, was formed.
It was during his time with the Soul Brothers Six that John wrote the iconic song “Some Kind of Wonderful.” Yes, that “Some Kind of Wonderful”—the one that likely popped into your head just now. The song has accumulated over six million air plays to date. In fact, just this June, BMI invited John to an event in his home state of West Virginia, where he discovered it was a surprise celebration in his honor.
“I was given two lifetime achievement awards for my song being one of the most recorded songs in music history,” John shared. “It was quite touching and moving.”
Despite his numerous awards and recognitions, John is a humble man. He insisted I call him by his first name, and I quickly found him to be easy-going, gracious, and kind. When I admitted my nervousness about speaking with a legend, he reassured me, saying he’s just a regular guy.
But I begged to differ. John is a singer, songwriter, guitar player, author, motivational speaker, and even has his own line of “Some Kind of Wonderful Food.” At 83, he’s still touring both nationally and in Europe. His bio on johnellisonmusic.com notes that he has “written for and performed alongside” musical giants like Nina Simone, James Brown, the Temptations, Wilson Pickett, Grand Funk Railroad, Joss Stone, Huey Lewis & the News, and Buddy Guy.
The full list is even longer and almost too impressive to believe. Many of these artists have covered “Some Kind of Wonderful.” In fact, it’s one of the most covered songs ever. I had just heard the Grand Funk Rail-road version on the radio the day before— likely the most familiar rendition to most listeners. But by the time they brought the song to #3 on the Bill-board Hot 100, it was already seven years old and had made the top 100 charts twice before. The Soul Brothers Six recorded John’s song in 1967, and The Fantastic Johnny C recorded it the following year.
As black performers, however, they weren’t played on all radio stations. “Grand Funk Rail-road used to listen to a lot of black music and recorded a lot of black music,” John explained. “They found that when they played ‘Some Kind of Wonderful,’ the dance floor would always fill up.” Since then, “Some Kind of Wonderful” has been covered by seventy-five artists and counting. Though John knew he had written something special all those years ago, he couldn’t have predicted the song’s lasting impact. “What amazes me is that, when I wrote the song, I knew it was a hit,” John said. “But if someone had told me that this song would be covered by 75 artists, I couldn’t fathom that.
I could never have imagined that.” I was delighted to hear that his favorite cover of “Some Kind of Wonderful” was performed by Huey Lewis & the News— one of my favorite bands, and Huey being my first crush. “He wanted to stay as close to the Soul Brothers Six version as possible, and he did a great job with it,” John said. He also mentioned that he’s least fond of a recording by Viva, a metal band. (I listened to it on YouTube, and I wish I hadn’t.) John has come a long way from his roots in an impoverished coal-mining town in West Virginia.
By age thirteen, he knew he wanted to pursue music, despite everyone—including his parents—thinking he was crazy. But he didn’t listen to them. “It was what I was supposed to do. When people found out I was serious about my music, they started telling me to forget about these dreams and get a job,” he recalled. “But it wasn’t in my plans, nor was it in God’s plans. I followed my dream and my vision.”
The journey wasn’t easy. John faced many hardships and racism throughout the years, overcoming these obstacles with strong faith. “I reflect on my life quite often. The barriers and challenges I’ve faced since I first picked up a guitar and decided to go into music were overwhelming. But I look at all the negative things that happened because they made me who I am today. If something came in my path, it only made me more determined to prove that you can’t stop me.
That’s why I’ve achieved what I’ve achieved.” John is still creating music. Earlier this year, he released an album featuring a new version of “Some Kind of Wonderful” along-side a new song called “If I Had One Wish.” The song, inspired by the current state of the country, carries a message of peace and harmony. “This country has been going through so much in terms of negativity, racism, discrimination, and hate,” he said. “The lyrics are powerful.” Given John’s life experiences and the challenges he has overcome, it’s no surprise he became a motivational speaker.
He encourages others not to stand in their own way. “People try to tell others what to do; I call them dream killers. There are a lot of dream killers in this world. I tell people all the time to follow your heart and mind, put your trust in God, and don’t let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do. That’s when you lose—when you start listening to other people,” he said. “I’ve been told I’m stubborn, that I’m bull-headed, because I don’t listen to people. I listen to my gut feeling and talk to God.
When I want to do something, I go for it, and I’m a true believer that if you have faith in yourself, you will achieve your goals.” I encourage every-one to make it a goal to see John Ellison per-form with the Carpenter Ants on Friday, August 30th in Silver Bay at City Center Park at 7:30 PM. The concert is free to attend. The following evening, he will perform with the band during a Benefit House Concert. Tickets are still available, with proceeds helping Rocky Wall Productions continue to bring great music to Silver Bay.
Though John has played in Minnesota before, this will be his first visit to Silver Bay. He’s excited to come to town and promises the event won’t be one to miss. When I asked what concertgoers can expect from a John Ellison and the Carpenter Ants performance, John confidently said, “They will see an unbelievable concert. It’s going to be amazing. It will be the best concert they’ve been to. Trust me on that.” I have no doubt the event will be “Some Kind of Wonderful.” For more information about the concert and the concert series, visit rockywallproductions.org.
