Garland Green

Garfield Green Jr. (14 June 1942 – February 2026; Dunleith, Mississippi), professionally known as Garland Green, was an American soul singer and pianist. He carved out a distinct space in the Chicago soul landscape during the late 1960s and 1970s, establishing a reputation for his expressive vocal delivery.

Early Life

Born in Dunleith, Mississippi, on 14 June 1942, Green grew up as the tenth of eleven children in his family. He spent his early childhood in Mississippi before relocating to Chicago in 1958. While balancing school at Englewood High and employment, he regularly sang on weekends. His talent caught the attention of Argia B. Collins, a local barbecue chain owner, who overheard Green singing in a pool room. Recognising his potential, Collins funded Green's education at the Chicago Conservatory of Music, allowing him to formally study voice and piano while gaining performance experience in local bars and clubs.

Career

Green's professional breakthrough arrived in 1967 after winning a talent show at the Trocadero club, which earned him a performance opening for Lou Rawls and Earl Hines at the Sutherland Lounge. His performance was spotted by Mel Collins and songwriter Joshie Jo Armstead, who arranged a recording session in Detroit. The result was his debut single, “Girl I Love You”, released on Gamma Records and later picked up by Revue Records for national distribution. After moving to Uni Records, Green achieved a massive national milestone with the 1969 single “Jealous Kind of Fella”, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard R&B chart, No. 2 on the Cashbox soul chart, and No. 24 in Canada, eventually selling one million copies by March 1971.

Following his time with Uni, Green signed with Cotillion Records, scoring a Top 20 R&B success with “Plain and Simple Girl”, produced and arranged by Donny Hathaway. He later joined Spring Records in 1973, charting modestly with tracks like “Let the Good Times Roll” and “Bumpin' and Stompin'”, while his recording “Just What The Doctor Ordered” remained unissued until 1990 on an Ace/Kent compilation. A brief stint at RCA Records yielded three singles and an album produced by Leon Haywood.

In 1979, Green moved to California, signing with Ocean-Front Records for an album produced by Lamont Dozier and Arleen Schesel, which featured a reworked version of “Trying to Hold on to My Woman”. Following a period of self-released music, he signed with Special Soul Music, a division of CDS Records, releasing I Should've Been The One in February 2012, marking his first album of new material in 29 years.

Personal Life

Green maintained a deeply rooted connection to the soul community throughout his multi-decade career, transitioning from major label prominence to independent self-releases later in life. During his time in California, he developed a personal and professional partnership with producer Arleen Schesel, whom he later married. His enduring legacy rests on his contribution to the classic soul and rhythm and blues genres, particularly through his signature crossover hits of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Green's passing at the age of 83 was announced on 9 February 2026.