Billy Wright (musician)
Billy Wright | |
---|---|
Atlanta, Georgia , United States | |
Died | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | October 28, 1991 (aged 73)
Genres |
|
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Years active | 1930s or 1940s–1991 |
Labels |
William Wright (May 21 or 23, 1918,[1][2] – October 28, 1991)[2] was an American singer. He is considered one of Little Richard's greatest influences in his formative years.
Biography
Wright was born in
As a child, Wright excelled at singing
His first record, "Blues for My Baby", recorded with Howard Collander's orchestra, rose to number 3 on the Billboard
In 1954, Wright signed a contract with
Personal life
Wright's first musical opportunity came in the tent shows that were popular at the time. In these events, men dressed in drag and acted and sang in minstrel shows. Sometimes, he even balanced a chair on his chin while he sang.[8] This led to the flamboyant persona he adopted for his short career that he passed onto Little Richard. It also gave him experience in make-up which came in handy with his performances.[9] It was after a few years as a female impersonator that a Billy focused more on singing.[10]
Wright was openly homosexual.[10]
Discography
Singles
- "Blues for My Baby" / "You Satisfy" (Savoy 710), 11/1949
- "Man's Brand Boogie" / "Beg-a-Dog" (Atlanta 6000), 1950
- "I Keep Drinkin'" / "Billy's Boogie Blues" (Savoy 715),1950
- "Back Biting Woman" / "Thinkin' Blues" (Savoy 733), 1950
- "After Dark Blues" / "Heavy Hearted Blues" (Savoy 741), 1951
- "'Fore Day Blues" / "Empty Hands" (Savoy 761), 1951
- "Mean Old Wine" / "Keep Your Hands on Your Heart" (Savoy 776), 11/1951
- "Stacked Deck" / "Mercy Mercy" (Savoy 781), 1951
- "Hey Little Girl" / "Gotta Find My Baby" (Savoy 810), 1951
- "New Kind of Lovin'" / "When the Wagon Comes" (Savoy 819), 1952
- "Turn Your Lamps Down Low" / "Drinkin' and Thinkin'" (Savoy 827), 1952
- "Married Woman's Boogie" / "Every Evening" (Savoy 837), 1952
- "If I Didn't Love You" / "Goin' Down Slow" (Savoy 870), 12/1952
- "After Awhile" / "Four Cold Cold Walls" (Savoy 1100), 5/1953
- "Live the Life" / "I Remember" (Savoy 1127), 4/1954
- "Bad Luck, Heartaches, and Trouble" / "The Question" (Peacock 1657), 7/1955
- "Have Mercy Baby" / "I Love You Sweetheart" (Carrollton 801), 1959
Other recordings
- "Walking the Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, September 23, 1949
- "Ride on Little Girl" (Savoy), unreleased, July 1, 1950
- "Misfortune Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, April 24, 1950
- "Restless Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, 1951 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
- "This Love of Mine" (Savoy), unreleased, 1951 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
- "If I Had My Life to Live Over" (Savoy), unreleased, 1952 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
- "Sad Hour Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, 1952 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
- "Do Something for Me", recorded live at the Harlem Theater, Atlanta, Georgia, 1952 (included on the album Stacked Deck)
- "Keep Your Hand on Your Heart and Your Mind on Me" (Savoy), 1953 (included on Savoy LP-2255)
- "Will You Need Me" (Savoy), unreleased, 1954 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
- "Baby Don't You Want a Man Like Me" (Peacock), unreleased, 1955
- "Let's Be Friends" (Peacock), unreleased, 1955
- Titles unknown (Fury/Fire), unreleased, 1959
Albums
- Stacked Deck (Route 66), 1980
- Goin Down Slow (Savoy LP-1146), 1984
- Various artists, Southern Blues: Roots of Rock and Roll Volume 11 (Savoy LP-2255), 1985
- Billy Wright/Little Richard: Baby Don't You Want a Man Like Me (Ace 193), 1987
- Billy Wright (Savoy Jazz), 1994
- Classics 1949-1951 (Melodie Jazz Classics), 2003
- Billy Wright (Savoy Jazz), 1994
- Have Mercy Baby (Blue City BCCD-810), including his Peacock, Carrollton, and Atlanta recordings
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ a b c d e Bennett, Tom (October 31, 1991). "Mr. Billy Wright, local R&B singer known as the 'Prince of the Blues'". Atlanta Constitution. p. B6.
- ^ a b c Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–1995. Record Research. p. 495.
- ^ "The REAL Tent Show Queens: What Was on Their Mind?" Archived November 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Corey @ I'll Keep You Posted, April 5, 2011]. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
- ^ Dahl, Bill. "Bill Wright: Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ a b c Marion, J. C. (2004). "Prince of the Blues: Billy Wright". Jamm Up. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
- ^ a b White, Charles. (2003). The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Authorised Biography. Omnibus Press. P. 25.
- ^ Hound, The (June 15, 2009). "TheHoundBlog: Billy Wright". TheHoundBlog. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ "Billy Wright: "You Satisfy" – Spontaneous Lunacy". Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ a b "The 1950s Queer Black Performers Who Inspired Little Richard". The Wire. Retrieved July 29, 2023.