Baby Huey (singer)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with Huey (rapper).
"James Thomas Ramey" redirects here. For the American lawyer, see James T. Ramey.
Baby Huey
James Ramey pictured on the cover of his posthumous album, The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend
James Ramey pictured on the cover of his posthumous album, The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend
Background information
Birth nameJames Thomas Ramey [1]
Born(1944-08-17)August 17, 1944
Richmond, Indiana, United States
OriginChicago, Illinois, United States
DiedOctober 28, 1970(1970-10-28) (aged 26)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres
OccupationsSinger
Years active1963–1970
LabelsCurtom
Formerly ofThe Vets, Baby Huey & the Babysitters, Melvyn "Deacon" Jones, Johnny Ross

James Thomas Ramey (August 17, 1944 – October 28, 1970), better known as Baby Huey, was an American singer. He was the frontman for the band

hip-hop music
.

Life and career

A native of

Chicago, Illinois, at the age of nineteen, and worked with several local bands as a singer. When he was still in high school, he worked with his first; the Vets. Due to a glandular disorder, Ramey weighed about 350 pounds (160 kg) around this time.[4] His size contributed to his stage presence, but also to health problems. Nevertheless, he made light of his condition, adopting the stage name "Baby Huey" after Paramount Pictures' giant duckling cartoon character of the same name. In 1963, Ramey, organist/trumpeter Melvyn "Deacon" Jones, and guitarist Johnny Ross founded a band called Baby Huey & the Babysitters
, which became a popular local act and released several 45 RPM singles. The four songs, "Beg Me", "Monkey Man", "Messin' with the Kid" and "Just Being Careful" were spread over various single releases.

During the late 1960s, the band followed the lead of

hip-hop music. The Babysitters were a popular live act, but never took the time out to record an album. They toured widely in the US, and were seen by a member of the Rothschild family, who flew the band to Paris, France, to play at a family ball. The band's appearances in clubs there led in turn to a feature in Vogue magazine.[1]

In early 1969, the band's agent Marv Heiman secured them an audition with Curtom Records arranger Donny Hathaway. Heiman states that Hathaway came by the Thumbs Up club and was very impressed by the act, and got Curtom Records head Curtis Mayfield to come the following night.[5] Mayfield wanted to sign Baby Huey, but not the band. Although the band participated in the recording of Ramey's debut album, there were feelings of unease among them, and Jones quit the band during the recording. It is also likely that Ross had quit some time before.

By 1970, Ramey had developed an addiction to heroin, and his weight had increased to over 400 pounds (180 kg). He began regularly missing gigs or turning up late, and, at the insistence of his bandmates, briefly entered rehabilitation in the spring of 1970. In addition to the heroin problem, Ramey was also drinking. Melvyn Jones described in his book that once while pouring his breakfast cereal, Ramey's drug kit fell out of the box.[6]

Death

On October 28, 1970, Ramey died of a drug-related

heart attack at the age of twenty-six in a Chicago motel room.[4][7]
His funeral was held on November 1 in his native Richmond, Indiana, and he was buried there in Glen Havens Memorial Gardens.

Legacy

Baby Huey's album,

A Change Is Gonna Come
" and two original compositions by Ramey. The album did not sell well upon its initial release and was largely forgotten by the mainstream. Today, the album is considered a classic of its period.

On October 7, 1971, Jet magazine ran a small piece claiming his mother was granted authorization to audit the records of two recording firms, including Curtom Records. The order also permitted her to evaluate an undetermined estate left by him. According to Chicago attorney Vernon M. Rhinehart, Ramey had a salary of $3,500 per week.[8]

Several songs from The Baby Huey Story, including "Hard Times", "Listen to Me", and "Mighty Mighty Children", have been frequently sampled by

Wake Up!
. Many people, including the Babysitters themselves, see The Baby Huey Story as a significant and important influence on hip-hop music.

"Listen to Me" was featured as a rap backing track in two episodes of the 2016 Netflix series

HBO Max series Beforeigners also use "Hard Times" as the opening theme. Both "Listen to Me" and "Hard Times" are featured on the soundtrack of the film I Believe in Miracles
.

The song "Hard Times" is the opening song for the Peacock mini series "The Continental."

Discography

Albums

Singles

  • "Mighty Mighty Children" (Curtom CR 1969)
  • "Listen to Me" (Curtom CR 1962)

Compilations

  • "Hard Times" on Shaolin Soul
  • "Listen to Me" on Kurtis Blow Presents the History of Rap, Vol. 1: The Genesis (1997, Rhino Records).

References

  1. ^ a b Peter Burns, Liner notes to The Baby Huey Story CD, Sequel Records, 1999
  2. ^ a b c d Steve Huey (1970-10-28). "Baby Huey | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
  3. ^ "Rock Star Baby Huey Found Dead". Chicago Tribune. October 29, 1970. p. 18, sec. 2.
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-1-556-52754-8
    .
  5. ^ "Curtis Mayfield and the Black Rock Connection — The Hip Hop Culture Center In Harlem". H2c2harlem.com. 2010-01-14. Archived from the original on 2014-08-11. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
  6. ^ ""Forty Years with the Blues Legends", by Melvin (Deacon) Jones". Highwayscriberybooks.blogspot.com. 5 January 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  7. ISBN 0-879-30744-7
    .
  8. ^ Garage Hangover Jet Magazine October 7, 1971, Page 52

External links

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