Forgotten dance-craze hit maker Jerry O has inspired a new biography

Since 2004 Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) has used the Secret History of Chicago Music to shine a light on worthy artists with Chicago ties who’ve been forgotten, underrated, or never noticed in the first place.

• Tom & Jerrio’s 1965 hit “Boo-Ga-Loo” helped kick off the boogaloo dance craze, though the song is barely remembered today.

• Jerry O’s 1968 tune “(Funky) Four Corners” got picked up by several overseas labels.

• The boogaloo craze was still going strong in 1967, when “Karate Boo-Ga-Loo” came out—it sold more than 400,000 copies.