RIP ‘Fugi’ Jordan, the man behind an Etta James classic and one of Fresno’s first rap anthems

Ellington “Fugi” Jordan was famously obscure — or obscurely famous, perhaps.

Either way, he was the kind of musician whose name pops up on Reddit posts and online forums, or in passing reference in obituaries for more mainstream artists — like Etta James, for example.

But those who know, know.

Jordan died June 18 at his home in Fresno after spending several weeks in the hospital. He was 80 years old. The news was confirmed by ex-wife Diane Ramey and in a post on his Facebook fan page.

Etta James + ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’

Jordan’s contributions to the music scene were felt both nationally and here in Fresno.

He co-wrote “I’d Rather Go Blind” in the late 1960s. It’s a song Etta James said she first heard while visiting the man in prison. In a 2006 interview, Jordan said prison gave a him new chance at life and developed his musical abilities.

The song became a blues classic and has been covered by Rod Stewart, B.B. King and Beyonce, among others. It was recently reintroduced to audiences, thanks to its uncanny similarity to Chris Stapleton’s version of “Tennessee Whiskey.”

Originally from Los Angeles, Jordan moved to Detroit where he met and collaborated with Black Merda, a group many consider to be the first all-Black rock band in the U.S. He took on the moniker Fugi and with Black Merda’s backing released a psychedelic funk track called “Mary Don’t Take Me on No Bad Trip” in 1968.

‘The cold-blooded city they call the ‘No’

By the 1990s, Jordan had relocated to Fresno, where he was rediscovered by a young group of rap fans. His 1994 CD, released under the name Fugi (or Fuji depending on whom you ask), sold some 20,000 copies and featured what might be Fresno’s first rap anthem — and birthed the line “the cold-blooded city they call the ’No.”

Those of a certain age will no doubt remember the video, which was filmed in Fresno and played in heavy rotation on the cable TV network the Box.

“The generation that was coming up behind that song, they all knew who we was,” Ramey said.

Over the past few years, he split his time between Fresno and Detroit, where he had been working on new material with Black Merda. He had performed with the band as recently as 2017.