Freddie Mack (15 September 1934[1] – 11 January 2009), sometimes also spelled Freddy Mack and also known as Mr. Superbad, was a light-heavyweight boxer. He later enjoyed success in the UK as a Funk/Soul singer and DJ.

Biography

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Mack was born on a cotton plantation in Bennettsville, South Carolina, to father Fred Mack, black American foreman of the Carolina Breeding Estate and mother Florence Purvis, an Italian kitchen worker originally from Bracciano, just outside Rome, Italy.

He was a childhood friend of Floyd Patterson, who introduced him to boxing at Cus D'Amato's gym on 14th Street, Manhattan,[2]

As a light-heavyweight boxer, he reached 3rd place in the world ranking and is remembered for his knockouts against Sante Amonti, Jack Bodell, Chic Calderwood and Roman Morais, among others.[3]

After 66 professional fights he became a sparring partner for, among others, Henry Cooper, Billy Walker (The Blonde Bomber) and John "Cowboy" McCormack.

After living some time in Rome, he retired to England, c. 1965, where he was introduced to the movie scene by fight fans Sir Richard Burton and Rex Harrison. Freddie enjoyed a short film career especially his part in Cleopatra where, as one of the black slaves, he carried Elizabeth Taylor into Rome.[4] He can also be found in small acting roles in the Invisible Man, The Great Rock n Roll Swindle with the Sex Pistols[5] and Scotland's very own Taggart.

Then he embarked on yet another initially successful career as a singer/entertainer backed by an ever-changing band of British jazz and R&B musicians.

His first "group" was an R&B show with singers, dancers and two bands. This settled down into one backing band, called "The Mack Sound" put together by baritone sax player Roger Warwick. The band featured four to five horns, including, for a time, Otis Redding's trombone player Clarence Johnson, and full rhythm section with Alan Cartwright and B.J. Wilson.

From 1967 onwards his line-ups for the "Freddie Mack Sound", the "Fantastic Freddie Mack Show" or the "Freddie Mack Extravaganza" included, variously, Mel Day (vocals), Ray Lewis (bass), Dave Roffey (lead guitar), Ged Peck (lead guitar), Rod Jones (bass), Dick Morrissey (tenor sax), B.J. Wilson (drums), Roger Truth (drums). Alan Cartwright (bass), Johnny Orlando (vocals), Eddie 'Tan Tan' Thornton (trumpet), Bobby Morris (keyboards), Tex Makin (bass), Bill Davidson (organ), Art Regis(Organ), Viv Prince (Drums), Derry Wilkie (vocals), Tony Gomez (keyboards), Tony Morgan (vocals), Kookie Etan (vocals), Bob Mundy (vocals), Steve Mustang Sallis (lead guitar), Brian Williams (bass), Jimmy Jewell (tenor saxophone),[6] Jeff Bridge (tenor saxophone), Phil Presland (baritone saxophone) John Walsh (organ), Pat Green (drums) and Chris Burdett (Tenor Saxophone) Steve Humphries, (Bass), Mick Clarke, (Guitar), Jeffrey Jai Seopardie, (drums), among many others.

In 1969 he was arrested for being an illegal alien in the UK but managed to avoid deportation.

At the end of 1974, Mack signed to K-Tel Records as Mr. Superbad and recorded many records under this label. He also sang on the 1975 hit "Kung Fu Man" on UltraFunk for Contempo Records.

He went to live in Plains, North Lanarkshire in 1979 and spent the time from then till his retirement in 2005 working as a Radio DJ and doing gigs with his Disco Show. His sexy American voice and his love of Soul Music could be heard over the airwaves of Radio Clyde every Saturday night for many years.

In 1981, his strong American voice featured on the Tight Fit megamix song Back to the Sixties. The track reached number 4 in the UK Charts. His words are at the start of the song and are "Wam Bam Alakazam, that's the sound, the super sound of the 60's, going back and checking it out, ready for some more? Hit that floor! The great days are back again!" Following his departure from Radio Clyde, in 1991, he joined Glasgow's East End Radio and found huge popularity.

In 2001 he founded The Scot's Boxing Hall of Fame of which he was named President and there have been three Induction Events with a fourth on 13 September 2008 in the Quality Inn, Glasgow Central Hotel.

Between 2002 and 2003 he presented the Superbad Saturday Night programme on Lanarkshire radio station Clan FM which was a mix of soul music and chat. Mack died on 11 January 2009.[1]

Discography

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  • The Fantastic Freddy Mack Show (live 1966) – (Rayrik TPLMP 142/143)

As Freddie Mack's Extravanganza in Sounds (Extravaganza is misspelt on 7" release):

  • A: People – Part One; B: People – Part Two 1973

As Mr Superbad:

  • Superbad is Back 1973 (released only in America)
  • Superbad 1974
  • Souled Out 1975
  • Soul Motion 1976
  • Soul City 1977
  • Superbad Returns 1981

Professional boxing record

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27 Wins (14 knockouts, 12 decisions, 1 DQ), 19 Losses (4 knockouts, 15 decisions), 3 Draws, 2 No Contests [1]
Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
Loss 24–6   Jack Bodell PTS 8 7 September 1965   Earls Court Arena, Kensington, London Mathis knocked out at 2:58 of the second round.
Win 40–5–1   Chic Calderwood KO 8 3 February 1965   Wolverhampton, West Midlands
Win 16–4   Jack Bodell TKO 5 29 September 1964   Embassy Sportsdrome, Birmingham, West Midlands Referee stopped the bout at 1:15 of the fifth round.
Win 16–1–1   Giuseppe Migliari KO 8 12 September 1964   Rome
Loss 23–0–3   Piero Del Papa PTS 10 24 May 1964   Brescia, Lombardy
Win 15–1   Benito Penna PTS 10 6 May 1964   PalaLido, Milan Referee stopped the bout at 1:15 of the fifth round.
Win 18–13–2   Ray Shiel TKO 5 25 March 1964   Midlands Sporting Club, Solihull, West Midlands
Win 17–15–2   Ron Gray DQ 2 3 March 1964   Granby Halls, Leicester, Leicestershire
Loss 17–12–2   Ray Shiel PTS 8 6 February 1964   Tower Circus, Blackpool, Lancashire
Draw 19–1–2   Piero Tomasoni PTS 10 15 November 1963   Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome
Win 11–7–1   Joey Armstrong TKO 4 23 October 1963   Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands
Win 6–2   Joe Louis KO 1 25 September 1963   Midlands Sporting Club, Solihull, West Midlands Louis knocked out at 0:45 of the first round.
Loss 42–6–1   Joe Erskine PTS 10 10 August 1963   Newtown Pavilion, Newtown, Powys
Loss 13–4   Sonny Banks SD 10 5 June 1963   Graystone Ballroom, Detroit, Michigan
No Contest 6–3   Renato Moraes NC 7 18 January 1963   Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome
Draw 13–0–1   Piero Tomasoni PTS 10 20 September 1962   Brescia, Lombardy
No Contest 6–5   Georges Torrecillas ND 4 19 August 1962   Casino Municipale, San Remo, Liguria
Win 5–2   Renato Moraes KO 7 13 April 1962   Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome
Win 24–7   Ottavio Panunzi KO 2 19 January 1962   Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome
Loss 29–10   Jesse Bowdry PTS 10 24 November 1961   Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome
Win 40–2–2   Santo Amonti TKO 3 6 October 1961   Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome
Draw 5–7–1   Chuck Garrett PTS 10 21 August 1961   Vogue Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Loss 30–2–2   Mauro Mina PTS 10 29 July 1961   Estadio Nacional, Lima
Loss 29–2–2   Mauro Mina PTS 10 12 April 1961   Estadio Nacional, Lima
Loss 23–5   Giulio Rinaldi PTS 10 24 February 1961   Rome
Win 14–6–1   Lino Rendon UD 10 30 January 1961   St. Nicholas Arena, New York City
Win 8–1   Wilfredo Avellez TKO 1 7 January 1961   Madison Square Garden, New York City
Win 19–7   Young Beau Jack KO 6 8 July 1960   Sydney, Nova Scotia
Win 36–4–2   Junius Washington PTS 6 10 December 1958   Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec
Win 3–4   Eddie Bramlett PTS 6 1 December 1958   St. Nicholas Arena, New York City
Loss 76–19–2   Yvon Durelle PTS 10 28 August 1958   Moncton, New Brunswick
Loss 5–13–1   Al Anderson TKO 4 5 May 1958   St. Nicholas Arena, New York City
Win 3–2   Eddie Bramlett PTS 6 7 April 1958   St. Nicholas Arena, New York City
Win 0–1   Louis "Baby" Jones UD 6 15 March 1958   Boxing From Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York
Loss 10–12–1   Curtis Bruce SD 6 10 February 1958   St. Nicholas Arena, New York City
Win 5–3   Floyd McCoy PTS 6 13 January 1958   St. Nicholas Arena, New York City
Loss 22–5–1   Jerry Luedee TKO 8 2 September 1957   St. Nicholas Arena, New York City
Win 9–2–1   Dennis McCann TKO 5 23 July 1957   Ansonia, Connecticut
Win 4–1   Floyd McCoy PTS 6 18 July 1957   Sherbrooke, Quebec
Win 2–0   Wilson Hannibal PTS 6 24 June 1957   St. Nicholas Arena, New York City
Win 5–11–3   Lou Perry PTS 6 13 May 1957   St. Nicholas Arena, New York City
Loss 8–2–1   Dennis McCann PTS 6 19 April 1957   Hartford, Connecticut
Win 3–0   Rudy Williams KO 1 8 November 1956   Sunnyside Gardens, Queens, New York City
Win 2–1   Charley Black PTS 4 29 September 1955   Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Loss 9–1   Angelo DeFendis PTS 6 28 June 1955   Freeport Stadium, Freeport, New York
Loss 4–7   Al Anderson PTS 6 14 June 1955   Freeport Stadium, Freeport, New York
Loss 24–4–2   Paul Pender TKO 4 6 January 1955   Mechanics Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
Loss 2–2–2   David Bondulich TKO 3 8 November 1954   St. Nicholas Arena, New York City Referee stopped the bout at 2:05 of the third round.
Win 1–1   Tommy Selkirk PTS 4 23 August 1954   Boxing From Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York
Loss 0–1–1   Lou Perry PTS 4 16 August 1954   Boxing From Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York
Loss 1–0   Alan Watson KO 2 12 August 1954   Eintracht Oval, Astoria, Queens, New York City

References

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  1. ^ a b Mooney, Richard (12 January 2009). "Boxing, soul legend Freddie Mack dies aged 74". Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  2. ^ "Mooney, Richard "Soul star Mr Superbad talks about his first love of boxing" Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser Retrieved on 12 August 2009". Archived from the original on 22 January 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  3. ^ "Professional boxing record for Freddie Mack from Boxrec". Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  4. ^ Obituary in The Herald[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Still so superbad he's super good Twenty years after finding fame with Radio Clyde, Freddie Mack is funking up the airwaves again". 10 June 2002.
  6. ^ "Kris Ryan and The Questions". www.manchesterbeat.com.