Late D.C. soul singer Billy Stewart’s biggest pop hit, his unique take on George Gershwin’s “Summertime,” showcased what still makes him memorable—his distinctive vocal techniques (dramatic repeating “la, la, la”s, rolling “R’’s), and his doubled words. Stewart’s take on the standard was heard in Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Stewart himself is seen singing it in grainy black and white footage from American Bandstand in the 2021 documentary Fat Boy: The Billy Stewart Story. […]
