Spotlighting the great music of yesteryear by artists from and who have connections to the home of WVCW- Richmond, Virginia!
"Dissatisfied Man/Tribute To Girls"- Oliver Christian
My copy of "Dissatisfied Man" with a promotional Frankie's Got It! stamp; found and purchased for 50 cents at a Suffolk, VA Goodwill
Oliver Christian was a police officer with a soul music side gig from Norfolk, VA active from the late ‘60s to the late ‘70s. As a patrolman dealing with lawbreakers and pulling over speeders, Christian was immediately recognized by community members as the “Soul Cop.”
According to an article in the September 10, 1976 edition of the Sarasota Journal, Christian had been a police officer for four years before he began focusing on music and liked the idea of being a “singing cop,” as it helped him relate to young people of the era who often distrusted authority. Christian said that despite all the positives, there were also drawbacks to being the “Soul Cop.” Christian recounts a specific incident in the article, stating:
“I went to a house for a breaking and entering. I got inside, someone saw my tag, and said ‘Hey, it’s the Soul Cop. Everybody in the family wanted my autograph…”
“I finally had to remind the people I was there to take a report; they’d forgotten all about it.”
Christian released several singles throughout his music career with 1976’s “I Keep Coming Back For More” climbing to No. 8 on the British charts and reaching the No.1 spot in soul charts in Richmond, VA. Christian began singing in his church choir and met with Norfolk music producer Frank Guida who was the owner of Legrand Records and is credited with discovering and promoting musicians such as Gary U.S. Bonds. Guida also opened and ran the record store Frankie’s Got It on Granby Street in Norfolk, VA. My copy of “Dissatisfied Man” has a Frankie’s Got It promo stamp on each side. In an unknown year, Christian even recorded his take on the store’s extended jingle “theme song” “Frankie’s Got It” on Legrand. The track was also recorded by the garage group The Steve Peele Five in 1967.
Also in 1976, Christian released his first and only LP “Too Many Nites” on Norfolk International Records. This was Christian’s last musical effort, as he disappeared from the music scene in the 1980s.
Oliver Christian, also known as the "Soul Cop" on the cover of his 1976 LP "Too Many Nights"
The photo of Christian accompanying the 1976 Sarasota Journal article