Fay Simmons (February 25, 1932 – May 17, 2000) – Don't Slam The Door On My Heart (1961)

This stellar rockin’ jam by the mysterious R&B singer from Philly was issued on Senca Records, co-written by Colleen and Robert Jefferson.

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Fay Simmons was an unsung R&B/soul singer with a fantastic voice who recorded nearly two dozen singles during the 1950s and 60s, yet never had a hit. Very little is known about her to this day.

Born in Philadelphia, Simmons had five brothers and sisters. Two days after turning fifteen in 1947 she got married to musician Robert Geter, Jr. in Wilmington, Delaware. He was 21 at the time and became her manager. By the fifties, they lived in South Philly, around the 1200 block of Kater Street.

The two of them formed an alliance with Robert and Colleen Jefferson, who lived nearby and began writing songs for Simmons. Along with Geter, they tried mightily to gin up interest in her records.

She released her first single in 1954 on the local label Grand Records, co-owned by Herb Slotkin (who co-wrote “I Put A Spell On You” with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins) and future soul producer Jerry Ragovoy. The upbeat R&B jam “Whim, Whap, Whop” was put out in August or September, b/w “Makin’ A Fast Get-A-Way.” Songwriters for both sides remain unknown, but she was backed by James “Doc” Starkes and his Niteriders Orchestra.

Her next record dropped about a month later. “Tell Me What To Do” with the Latin-flavored “Big Joe Mambo” on the flip (both co-written by Herman “Piney” Gillespie and Robert Jefferson) was issued on both Gillespie’s Piney Records label and New York-based Rainbow Records in October, 1954. She had another single on Piney the following year, then took some time off.

In 1957, she was back with a single on Jubilee subsidiary Port Records out of New York. The superb R&B jam “I Can See Through You” was backed with the upbeat “Hangin’ Around,” both sides co-written by Geter and Richard “Dick” Howard, credited as musical director.

The single was reviewed in the August 17, 1957 issue of Cashbox. It was one of the few mentions her records ever got in the music press, although they mis-spelled her first name:

“I Can See Through You: Faye Simmons wails a slow, rhythmic "“Shake A Hand” type tune in excellent fashion. The gal belts with good voice and an exciting quality. The deck could bring the gal lots of attention. Potent side.

Hangin' Around: Miss Simmons turns to a hard hitting jump deck for the coupling. A racing tempo that'll have the kids dripping with moisture after a Lindy bout with this one.”

Besides the commercially available 78’s, it was issued as DJ-only promo copies on 7” 45 RPM vinyl.

The next year saw her put out the heartfelt R&B jam “What's The Matter, Baby” (1958) which Geter wrote, b/w the straight ahead rocker “Rock And Rollin’ And A-Strollin’,” co-written by Robert Jefferson. This single was released on Gone Records, which later became a subsidiary of Roulette.

Starting around 1959, Simmons would regularly go over to the Jeffersons’ house to practice her songs, according to their daughter Virginia. That same year, she released her upbeat, heartfelt love song “Please Tell Me I'm Yours,” written by Richard Howard. Its B-side was the superb “And The Angels Sing.”

Over the next two years, she played various club dates, including appearances at the Howard Theater in D.C. and the Apollo in Harlem when she opened for the Coasters and Dave “Baby” Cortez. She also released several more sides on Senca and Jordan Records. In 1961, Senca issued her stellar rockin’ jam “Don't Slam The Door On My Heart” b/w “Lonely Girl,” both co-written by the Jeffersons (with Colleen credited as Colleen Bush).

Simmons continued releasing singles until 1964, when she appears to have put out her final known record. In her later years she worked at pre-schools and day care centers. She divorced Geter in the mid-sixties and remarried Walter Flowers in 1981, changing her name to Janet Fay Flowers. When she died at age 68 there was no obituary. In 2007, the CD compilation Fay Simmons - R&B Mystery Woman was released on Jordan Records, featuring 28 of her sides plus two unreleased tracks.

Rest in Peace, Fay Simmons.

Further info:

“Fay Simmons,” by Brian Lee, Color Radio.

“Fay Simmons,” by Marv Goldberg, Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks, 2022.

#soul #R&B #doowop #unsung #Philadelphia #FaySimmons