JOE HAYWOOD

Biography

Joe Haywood (often credited as Joe Dean Haywood) was an American soul singer, drummer, and songwriter, born in 1939 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the eldest of eight children of Sarah Loease Haywood.[4][6] Raised in a religious household in the Jim Crow South, he first developed his musical skills in local churches and community groups before moving into the regional R&B circuit as both a vocalist and percussionist.[4][5][6] By the early 1960s he was working professionally, combining a gospel-rooted vocal approach with the tighter, drum-driven feel of contemporary rhythm and blues.

Haywood’s recording career unfolded mainly through a series of singles in the 1960s for labels such as Enjoy and White Cliffs, where he became known for an intense, pleading delivery that aligned closely with what later came to be celebrated as northern soul.[1][3] His most enduring contribution was as the writer of “Warm and Tender Love,” composed around 1960 and first recorded by him before being transformed into a major hit by Percy Sledge in 1966; the song became a deep soul standard and cemented Haywood’s reputation as a gifted, if understated, songwriter.[1][3][4] Despite critical admiration for sides such as “I Would If I Could” and “Let Me Whisper in Your Ear,” he never broke through commercially on the level of his better-known contemporaries, and his work circulated mostly among collectors and dedicated soul fans.[3][5]

In later years Haywood remained devoted to his family and largely withdrew from the national spotlight, though his 1960s recordings quietly gained cult status among British and European northern soul audiences, who prized his emotive vocals and classic arrangements.[1][3][5] He died in November 1996, but his legacy persists through the ongoing appeal of “Warm and Tender Love” and the reissue culture that has rescued his 45s from obscurity, placing him in the lineage of under-recognized southern and deep soul artists whose work continues to be rediscovered by new generations of listeners.[1][3][6]

Fun Facts

• Joe Haywood was not only a singer but also a working drummer/percussionist on the R&B circuit, giving his recordings a strong rhythmic foundation drawn from first-hand experience behind the kit.[4][5]
• He wrote “Warm and Tender Love” around 1960, several years before Percy Sledge’s famous 1966 version made the song internationally known as a deep soul classic.[1][4]
• Haywood came from a large family in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and was the eldest of eight children, remaining particularly devoted to his mother, Sarah Loease Haywood, throughout his life.[6]
• Although his own records never became major chart hits, original 1960s Joe Haywood 45s are sought-after items among northern soul and deep soul collectors, reflecting his posthumous cult status.[1][3][5]

Musical Connections

Key Collaborators

• Percy Sledge - Haywood’s song “Warm and Tender Love” was recorded by Percy Sledge, who turned it into a major deep soul hit, linking Haywood as the songwriter to Sledge’s interpretation and success. (Song: “Warm and Tender Love” (written by Joe Haywood, hit version by Percy Sledge, 1966)) [circa 1960 (composition)–late 1960s]

Artists Influenced

• Percy Sledge - Sledge’s version of “Warm and Tender Love” is built directly on Haywood’s composition, and the song became one of Sledge’s signature deep soul ballads, shaping his repertoire. (“Warm and Tender Love” (Atlantic single and subsequent compilations)) [mid–late 1960s]

External Links

• Spotify