Harold (Chuck) Willis (January 31, 1928 – April 10, 1958) was an American blues, rhythm and blues, and rock singer and songwriter; he was born in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1951, Willis signed with Columbia Records. After one single, he began recording on a Columbia subsidiary, Okeh. During his stay at Okeh, he established himself as a popular R&B singer and songwriter. In 1956, he moved to Atlantic Records where he had immediate success with "It's Too Late", "Juanita", and "Love Me Cherry". His most successful recording was "C.C. Rider", which topped the rhythm and blues chart in 1957 and also crossed over and sold well in the pop market. "C.C. Rider" was a remake of a classic twelve-bar blues. Its relaxed beat, combined with a mellow vibraphone backing and chorus, inspired the emergence of the popular dance, The Stroll. Willis's follow-up to "C. C. Rider" was "Betty and Dupree", another "stroll" song, which did very well.
Willis, who had suffered from stomach ulcers for many years, died suddenly of peritonitis while at the peak of his career, just after the release of his last single, "What Am I Living For?", backed by "Hang Up My Rock & Roll.