Sunshine Pt. 1 – Scacy and The Sound Service
Irving “Scacy” Haywood was at C G Woodson Junior High School in 1964 when he sang lead vocals on The D.C. Playboys’ “You Were All I Needed” on Arock Records with respected producer Van McCoy and it wasn’t long after that when he helped organize vocal group The Ascots. In the early 1970s Haywood saw new groups cropping up left and right in his hometown so he asked his father for money to post an ad in The Washington Star to start a new group. The elder Haywood didn’t hesitate.
Scacy and The Sound Service performed top 40 material at Byrne Manor and other cabarets around DC along with fellow go-go pioneers The Soul Searchers, The Young Senators, and Black Heat and opened for artists such as Stevie Wonder, Carla and Rufus Thomas, and War. Eager to put out a record Haywood asked his bandmates if anyone had written any songs. New organist Bennie Braxton had an original piece called “Sunshine,” which Scacy and The Sound Service recorded on Scacy Records at Track Recorders in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1972. Outkast sampled the song in 2006.
Shortly after releasing “Sunshine” Haywood received a call from fellow former Ascots singer Archie Powell who asked him to replace a member of his group The Presidents. Haywood toured with them and appeared with them as Anacostia on Soul Train in 1972.
Haywood’s participation in Anacostia was only temporary and afterwards he retired from music, establishing a career at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. In 2011 after a major surgery Haywood was inspired to return to music and won the Prince George’s County and Maryland Senior Idol Competitions by singing Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.”
6 Responses to Irving “Scacy” Haywood
Irving Haywood August 19, 2013
Thanks, Mr. Kaplan
for featuring me in Soul51. This article summarized my entire life in music so I’d like to Thank a few people who came in my life at the right
time to make this whole thing possible. HIH Productions ( Henry Sr. and Henry Jr. Haywood )
Dan Henry, Markus, James Duvall, Donald Tellery, Gilbert Pryor Jr., Jerry Shell, Wesley Ford,
Alvin Mcloud, Hurry Finch, Archie Powell, Bennie Braxton, Donald Hicks, Harry Young and last
but not least my wonderful Wife who always encouraged me on no matter the gold.
Thanks,
Scacy
soul51 August 19, 2013
Thank you Scacy!
Dr. Gilbert E. Pryor, Jr. May 13, 2014
Man, you all need to hear Scacy sing! I have been away from him for more than 30 years and it seemed like yesterday when he stepped on stages with me again. I as so grateful for the opportunity he gave me in this business. I played in a well-known band with him and was his band leader and arranger. Scacy, we will keep the magic growing.