Biography

African-American singing tenor and songwriter who joined the L.A.-based harmony group "The Sabers" in 1955. He went by the names Billy Jones and Billy Fortune as well. The quartet itself also went by several different names: The Sabers (original name), The Chavelles, The Gents, The Valiants, The Untouchables, The Electras, The Freedoms, The Alley Cats and Africa. Others in the group included at one time or another original members Herbie (last name unknown), Sheridan "Rip" Spencer, Rip's cousin Brice Coefield, and Walter Carter, and others (Chester Pipkin). Billy sang lead on such songs "This Is the Night" (#43 on the R&B chart; #69 on the Pop chart) and the flip tune "Good Golly Miss Molly". Little Richard had recorded the song earlier but the Valiants' version was actually released first in November of 1957.

Was heavily influenced by Clyde McPhatter and Little Richard.

Billy left The Valiants in 1958 and teamed up with the remnants of the group Vita Squires, recording the songs "Every Word of the song" and "Listen to Your Heart" for Hite Morgan and his wife Dorinda. This 1958 pairing was released on the Morgans' Dice label as by Billy Fortune and the Squires and on their Deck label as by Billy Storm and the Squires. Nevertheless Billy Storm and Billy Fortune are one and the same.

He wrote two songs for the cult film classic Psycho a Go Go (1965).

Recorded "The Way to My Heart" and "Angel of Mine" for the Barbary Coast label in 1958, with the Squires as an uncredited backup group.