He is a singer who became the lead singer for The Blue Notes when Harold Melvin revised the line-up in 1965. With them he released the R&B chart hit “Get Out (and Let Me Cry)” and appeared with them on tour with The Cadillacs.
John decided to leave the group in 1970 when his lead singing duties were taken over by their drummer Teddy Pendergrass. However, after Harold Melvin had lef the group in the mid-‘70s John and several other members that had been with The Blue Notes got together and moved to Miami to record. They joined up with TK Records and released the album The Truth has come to Light, with liner notes written by Muhammad Ali, on the Glade label and calling themselves The Blue Notes. He later sang with a group called Caviar.
He died from an aneurysm in Miami in 1998 when he was 54 years old.
Sources:
- http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Harold%20Melvin%20&%20Blue%20Notes.html
- http://www.phillysoulclassics.com/artists/harold-melvin-the-blue-notes
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Melvin_&_the_Blue_Notes
- http://www.discomusic.com/people-more/1546_0_11_0_C/
- http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZS9dzY9PvfIC&pg=PA309&lpg=PA309&dq=%22John+Atkins%22+Blue+Notes+florida&source=bl&ots=Si2WKDbJN5&sig=3FCTlUqt46y6R6oUJViNZUyfkHM&hl=en&ei=Ef3BS6wDhtGeB7zu2bAK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBEQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22John%20Atkins%22%20Blue%20Notes%20florida&f=false
- http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SbsDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=%22John+Atkins%22+Muhammad+Ali&source=bl&ots=pVggxsJ_zf&sig=gCzULMTMHzVlPs3JnTs7QHuTfyM&hl=en&ei=7_7BS-vEEYrUnAespqjFBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CA0Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=%22John%20Atkins%22%20Muhammad%20Ali&f=false