Gene Barge, one of the last surviving saxophonists of the golden age of R&B, died on Sunday at his home in Chicago. He was 98. His death was confirmed by his daughter, Gina Barge.
Known by the nickname Daddy G, Barge played on landmark hits of the rock and soul era, beginning with Chuck Willis’s swinging remake of the blues standard “C.C. Rider” in 1957. He was featured on Jimmy Soul’s calypso-derived “If You Wanna Be Happy,” a No. 1 pop and R&B hit in 1963.
His greatest acclaim came in 1961 with “Quarter to Three,” a No. 1 pop single recorded with the R&B shouter Gary U.S. Bonds. The record was an unlikely sensation, with muffled and lo-fi production that sounded like it was recorded in a bathroom or stairwell. Despite this, it was praised by the British television producer Jack Good as “fuzzy, muzzy and distorted” but “sensational and revolutionary.”
Barge’s playing style was distinctive and versatile, with a snaking, moaning tenor saxophone that influenced the development of rock and roll, funk, and soul music. He played on or produced records by Muddy Waters, the Chi-Lites, and the incendiary Detroit funk band Black Merda. He also toured with Ray Charles, Bo Diddley, and the Rolling Stones.
Barge was born on August 9, 1926, in Norfolk, Virginia, the oldest of eight children of James and Thelma (Edwards) Barge. His father played banjo and worked as a welder in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. His mother managed the home.
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