Eric Mercury was born in Toronto and enjoyed a childhood learning and performing in a musical family. By the age of five he was singing in public school and doing double duty in the local church. In the late ‘50’s, he began to seriously pursue music whenever he could with local groups in the R & B and rock and roll vein.

It wasn’t until he joined The Pharaohs with Jay Jackson (future vocalist for the Majestics) that Mercury knew he wanted to make singing his chosen profession.

Following The Pharaohs, Mercury would began gaining notoriety around Toronto for soul-jazz act called Diane Brooks, Eric Mercury And The Soul Searchers (featuring future members of Motherlode). This act was able to tour nationally across Canada and were able to make enough noise to be featured regularly on Canadian music dance shows.

In 1968, he left Toronto and began a solo career which saw him record a handful of LPs starting with 1969’s ‘Electric Black Man’, through ‘Funky Sound Nurtured In The Fertile Soil Of Memphis That Smell Of Rock’ (1972), ‘Love Is Taking Over (1973), and finally 'Eric Mercury&rsquo' (1975).

Following this he began writing material for others including Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway whom he also produced. He also stepped into the stage production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

Mercury returned to Toronto in 1986 and worked in a managerial and production capacity for the band Age Of Reason. Following the failure of the band to grab the attention of a major record label, Mercury returned to Chicago in May, 1988.

Stints in radio jingles and continued writing jobs with the likes of Gerald Alston have kept him busy but out of the limelight.

with notes from Trevor Hayes and Howard Druckman.  




Singles
1971 I Can Smell That Funky Music/Listen With Your Eyes (Enterprise/Polydor) ENA-9041
1975 Pours When It Pains/Colour Yesterdays (Mercury/Phonogram) M73679
1981 Gimme A Call Sometime/Include Me Out (Capitol-EMI) A-5020

Albums
1969 Electric Black Man (Avco Embassy)
1972 Funky Sound Nurtured In The Fertile Soil Of Memphis That Smell Of Rock (Enterprise)
1973 Love Is Taking Over (Enterprise/Polydor)
1975 Eric Mercury (Mercury)
1981 Gimme A Call Sometime (Capitol)

Video


Collaborations
by MANDALA
1968 Soul Crusade
    [Mercury supplies backing vocals]

by ROBERTA FLACK
1972 Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway (Atlantic)
    [Mercury produces and supplies backing vocals]
1980 Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway (Atlantic)
    [Mercury co-produced and co-wrote one song with Stevie Wonder]
1993 Softly With These Songs: The Best Of Roberta Flack [Mercury produces]
    [Mercury produces and supplies backing vocals on some tracks]  

by FREE CREEK
1976 Summit Meeting (Charisma)
    [Mercury supplies backing vocals]

by Brian & Brenda Russell
1978 Supersonic Lover (Rocket)
    [Mercury supplies backing vocals]

by THELONIUS MONK III & ERIC MERCURY
1985 Merc And Monk (Manhattan)







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