Known by his beard and large glasses, Paul was one of many singers who found success with the writing and producing team of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, whose Philadelphia International Records also released music by the O'Jays, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, and Lou Rawls. Paul remained identified with the song for the rest of his life. Among his favorites in concert was a cover of Prince's "Purple Rain." Paul is survived by his wife, Blanche Williams, with whom he had two children. A Philadelphia native, he sang much his life, performing with such jazz stars as Charlie Parker and Dinah Washington and being featured on a handful of singles while still in his teens. Many fans best remember the moment when Paul's otherwise subtle vocals jump as they reach the title words, stretching out "Me" and "And" into multiple syllables and repeating "Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. In our view, it is one of the greatest love songs ever recorded," they said. Paul was drafted into the military in his early 20s, and found himself on the same base in Germany with a couple of famous show business names, Elvis Presley and Gary Crosby, Bing Crosby's son. "We said we're going to start a band, so we didn't have to do any hard work in the service," he told bluesandsoul.com in 2015. "We tried to get Elvis to join but he wanted to be a jeep driver. So me and Gary Crosby, we started it and called ourselves the Jazz Blues Symphony Band." He was born Paul Williams but later agreed to his manager's suggestion that he change his name to Billy Paul to avoid confusion with songwriter Paul Williams and other musicians with the same name. Paul continued to perform live until he fell ill and his manager said he had been lining up numerous appearances at the time of his death. "Me and Mrs. Jones" was an extramarital confession and a characteristic Gamble and Huff production, setting Paul's thick tenor against a lush and sensuous arrangement. Teddy Pendergrass, the OJâ��s and yourself... 
 
 Billy: It was like a family full of music. "It was like music round the clock, you know. And I reminisce and I still wish those days were here, and I wish music wasnâ��t changing like it is. The song was one of the top singles of 1972 and brought Paul a Grammy the following year for best male rhythm 'n blues performance, with runners-up including Ray Charles and Curtis Mayfield.
– Billy Paul, a jazz and soul singer best known for the No. 1 hit ballad and "Philadelphia Soul" classic "Me and Mrs. Jones," died Sunday. Paul, whose career spanned more than 60 years, died at his home in New Jersey, his co-manager, Beverly Gay, tells the AP. Paul, 80, had been diagnosed recently with pancreatic cancer, Gay says. Paul was one of many singers who found success with the writing and producing team of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff. His voice made him "one of the great artists to come out of Philly and to be celebrated worldwide," Gamble and Huff said in a statement late Sunday. "Our proudest moment with Billy was the recording of the salacious smash 'Me and Mrs. Jones.' In our view, it is one of the greatest love songs ever recorded." The song was one of the top singles of 1972 and brought Paul a Grammy the following year for best male rhythm-and-blues performance, with runners-up including Ray Charles and Curtis Mayfield. Paul, a Philadelphia native who performed with jazz stars like Charlie Parker in his early days, was drafted into the military in his early 20s and found himself on the same base in Germany with a couple of famous show-business names: Elvis Presley and Gary Crosby, Bing Crosby's son. "We said we're going to start a band, so we didn't have to do any hard work in the service," he told Blues & Soul in 2015. "We tried to get Elvis to join but he wanted to be a jeep driver. So me and Gary Crosby, we started it and called ourselves the Jazz Blues Symphony Band."