They did themselves no favor giving Gay Meadows's backup group the unpronounceable name that is just "Playboy" spelled backwards with the "S" added at the end. Perhaps it was a sign of this being the beginning of a long career for Bill Haney as an independent producer. Bill Haney met Gay Meadows at Bill Lowry's studio, an Atlanta schoolhouse turned into a state-of-the-art facility. Lowry was the originator of Atlanta popular music, not just R&B, like Gay Meadows, but also country, like Mac Davis, who was also with Jamie for a short time.
Driving Gay Meadows home the studio, Bill Haney was enchanted with his voice as they sat in traffic and Gay sang accapela. Bill Haney wrote "Frozen Love" and "Only One Love" for Gay. They cut the song in the Bill Lowry studio and Bill Haney put it out as the first release on his own Chart Records label (Chart 101). John Richbourg got behind the song on his all-important WLAC clear-channel radio show. Once the song started to get a reaction, John Richbourg suggested national distribution through Jamie/Guyden in Philadelphia. Richbourg made the connection that got Gay Meadows released on Guyden, as Guyden 2088, on April 17, 1963.
The record did not become a hit, but Bill Haney continued to record. So did Gay Meadows, who soon changed his name to Jarvis Jackson. As Jarvis Jackson, he sang “Something I Ain’t Never Had” and “What You Don’t Know” on Sims Records. Bill Haney went on produce many artists, including Arthur Alexander, Randolph Walker, and Dino and Doc. His productions appeared on Capitol, Shout, Volt, and Mala Records. Bill Haney died on April 22, 1997.
