Not a bad bone in his body, and a fountain of knowledge. Living down South for eight years (2008 thru 2016) @bdp24, soaking in all of them sights and sounds The French Quarter / Beale Street had to offer were a must. And I loved every minute when those opportunities arouse.
The last of the black Rock 'n' Roll pioneers?
I just learned Huey "Piano" Smith passed away in his sleep on February 13th.
Rock ’n’ Roll doesn’t seem to be that popular with participants on this sight, but many of the artists who are revere Huey and his contemporaries: the black songwriters, singers, musicians, and bandleaders who created the music that led to the Big Bang that is Rock ’n’ Roll. And by Rock ’n’ Roll I am speaking of the music that came out of Memphis, Muscle Shoals, New Orleans (Huey’s hometown), Kansas City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and a few other hotbeds of musical activity in the late-40’s and early-50’s.
Guys like Dylan, Springsteen, John Fogerty, John Lennon & his bandmates, the glimmer twins (I hate that term, but okay ;-), Dave Edmunds, Robert Plant, Leon Russell, even Elton John (shudder ;-) owe a LOT to the originators. One such guy was Huey Smith, who can be heard in the recordings of Little Richard (McCartney’s favorite singer), Lloyd Price, Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis (for a shot of intense Rock ’n’ Roll, listen to Dave Edmunds’ recording of Lewis’ "I hear You Knocking". Phew!), Dave Bartholomew (I named my son after him), a bunch of others.
Have you ever heard Huey’s "Rockin’ Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu"? (The Flamin’ Groovies do a great version of the song on Supersnazz, their 1969 debut album on Epic Records). How about "Don’t You Just Know It"? SO cool! Surely you’ve heard "Sea Cruise", but most likely the hit version by Frankie Ford. Guess who wrote the song and recorded it first? Ace Records decided a version by a white singer would sell better, so replaced the original vocal by the singer of Huey Piano Smith And The Clowns with that of Ford.
I can’t think of another Rock ’n’ Roll originator who is still living. I treasure the memory of backing Don & Dewey (Specialty Records label mates of Little Richard, Lloyd Price, Sam Cooke, John Lee Hooker, many more)---both now gone---when they played The Continental Club in Los Angeles in the late-90’s (the great Earl Palmer played drums on many of their recordings). I couldn’t believe it: on the bandstand with Rock ’n’ Roll Royalty!
Honor the man; play some of his music tonight.
Showing 7 responses by dabel
Not to my recollection @bdp24, and likely do to the very fact "I was a Drifter." ;-) Hand Grenade in one hand and many acts to see & hear during any given Friday / Saturday evening. Sorta a bar hopping fella with no road map if you will .... Surely could've used the guidance of someone with your expertise then! Purely exploration. |
I’m slightly embarrassed to even admit but I’ve been residing in San Diego since 1987 @bdp24 (subtracting them there eight years) and I have yet to experience any sort of LA night life, go figure. Now my Son and his gal on the other hand occasionally frequent LA "underground" and they’ll typically ask me days or even weeks in advance, wanna go? And I’ll respond with, ahh one day ... "to busy with work / fatigue." :-) My Son played his very first live show here at The Casbah about four or five weeks ago, standard sets and they were second in line for stage appearance. Wow what a blast, that was so much fun! You musicians are much alike ... he seems to follow in your footsteps, sits behind the drum kit and is all about the "who’s who." ;-) Thanks for tossing out The Continental Drifters recommendation, the lineup, and a little history for all to see. Yeah I’d have to say, they’re really darn good and impressive! Oh. "Nawlins" Hand Grenade Cocktail that is ....
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Too funny and so true ....
Yeah you’re absolutely right, but lately for me anyway its been work and home, on repeat! He has a gig coming up very soon April 8th (lands on a Saturday, 9pm center stage but in the rear :) Location is still unknown until tomorrow when it’ll be discussed. During their weekly Wednesday practice / rehearsal. 4-pc band, Psychedelic Rock btw |
Very sad state of affairs indeed @bdp24 :-(
Not this band ... Management contract specifically states, "ice cold Ales and Lagers." As for others I can only speculate and if so, I pray in the form of caps & stems with a (big emphasis in / on moderation). |
All it ever took for anyone is generally one bad trip! A very dear friend of mine (ten years my senior) while growing up in Illinois tripped at the age of seven. Turns out (because how else could this have happened) some wise guy with his so-called brainiac powers decided to lace one or more of them lick-em & stick-em tattoos that would come in Cracker Jack boxes for kids, well guess what Mr Brainiac. Two weeks pass after my friend / boss explains this "wild and vivid story" of his (man has the memory of an elephant), low and behold a customer walks in our store shortly before closing time with a personal (much later in life) first time experience story of his own, in fact his bad trip happened the night before! I ease dropped on most of their conversation but at the very end stepped in with, "so, who’s the wise guy that said it was okay to eat more than your fair share of caps & stems, and let me guess, trip by yourself first timer?" One could easily see in this mans eyes the fear, for he’d now realized what harm might have come to his beautiful wife and precious young children. |
Ugh ... what do we have hear, sounds of Happy Hour Confessions! @tylermunns, I had lost my Virginity to LSD ... and lets just say a multiple of times. ;-) |