Phil Perry - Forever

Discovered by Catholic nuns while singing high masses in his Catholic Church (St. Elizabeth in East St. Louis), and a high-school talent show favorite, Phil Perry wrote and recorded his first single “Hey You“ with The Montclairs, who were also based in East St. Louis. They were signed to the Archway Records label just before Perry turned 17 years old in 1969. The song is considered to be the first of a classic soul collection of Perry ’Old School’ singles popular in the 1970s. In 1972, The Montclairs recorded for Paula Records with minor soul ballads that included “Dreaming’s out of Season,“ “Prelude to a Heartbreak,“ and “Begging’s Hard to Do.“ The Montclairs left Paula Records and disbanded in 1975. Perry then moved to California with former Montclair Kevin Sanlin, recording as a duo, resulting in two albums at Capitol Records in the early 1980s that were produced by Chuck Jackson and Dr. Cecil Hale. One song, “Just to Make You Happy,“