By Walter Curry
PROFILE
Recently, Patti LaBelle, like many other music legends, has drawn inspiration from the hit song “Boots On The Ground,” performed by Southern Soul Superstar 803 Fresh, who hails from Wagener, South Carolina. The song’s success can be credited to the innovative production by Terrance Thompson, another South Carolina native from Blackville. Notably, many of LaBelle’s wellknown tracks were crafted by the talented James “Budd” Ellison, my maternal cousin, who has deep familial ties to Salley, South Carolina, and remains an unsung hero in the music industry.
James “Budd” Ellison was born on July 11, 1952, in Brooklyn, New York. His father, James Ellison, hailed from Sawyerdale and spent his youth on the family property known as the Ellison Estates, situated on the outskirts of Salley, South Carolina. His mother, Irene Walker Ellison, was originally from North, South Carolina. Throughout Budd’s childhood, his father performed with various African American gospel music groups in Brooklyn, introducing Budd and his cousin, Tommy Ellison—who would later become a renowned gospel music figure and mentor—to the rich traditions of gospel music.
In his early adult years, Budd relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he began collaborating with LaBelle in 1975. He played a key role in her evolution as a solo artist, contributing