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As half of the soul duo Peaches and Herb, Herb Fame has gone through more Peaches than a Georgia farmer, effectively extending his career through four decades.
The brainchild of producer Van McCoy, the original Peaches and Herb formed in 1965. McCoy brought together solo artist Fame, born Herbert Feemster, and Francine "Peaches" Barker, the lead singer of the vocal group the Sweet Things. The new duo had a hit in 1966 with the B-side of their first single, "Let's Fall in Love." The debut album Let's Fall in Love was released in 1967 and spawned two more hits, "For Your Love" and "Close Your Eyes." After several more successful singles in the late '60s, Barker was replaced briefly by Marlene Mack. By the time Barker returned to Peaches and Herb in 1970, the wellspring of hits had dried up and the duo quit the record business. Fame became a Washington, D.C. police officer and Barker went back to her life as a housewife.
But the saga of Peaches and Herb was far from over, and Herb Fame was several years away from the paramount of his success. After a nearly eight-year hiatus, Fame discovered Linda Green, his next Peaches-in-waiting, and returned to music full time. In 1979 Peaches and Herb recorded the disco classic "Shake Your Groove Thing" and the No. 1 pop ballad "Reunited." The corresponding album, 2 Hot, far exceeded the success of the previous incarnation's work. The early '80s proved equally successful for Peaches and Herb as they released half a dozen charting singles before retiring again.
In 1992, Fame returned yet again, this time with Patrice Hawthorne playing the role of Peaches. The duo released Reunited in 1992 and Sweethearts of Soul in 1994, but neither matched the duo's previous successes. Peaches and Herb have since faded from the scene once more...for now.
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