LLOYD PRICE

'Lloyd Price' (born March 9, 1933 in Kenner, Louisiana) was an early New Orleans-style rock and roll musician. His first recording, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" was a huge hit on Specialty Records in 1952, and although he continued to turn out fine records, none were as popular until several years later when he refined the New Orleans beat and achieved a series of national hits.^[1] He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.^[2]

Contents

Career

Notes

External links

Career

Growing up in a suburb of New Orleans, Price had formal musical training in trumpet and piano and was a member of a combo in high school. When Art Rupe of Specialty Records came to New Orleans scouting for talent and heard Price's song, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", he wanted to record it. Because Price did not have a band, Rupe hired Dave Bartholomew and his band (which included Fats Domino on piano) to do the arrangements and back up Price in the recording session. The song turned out to be a massive hit and his next release cut at the same session, "Oooh, Oooh, Oooh" a much smaller one. Price continued making fine recordings for Speciality but without his previous popularity.
In 1954 he was drafted and ended up in Korea. When he returned he found he had been replaced by Little Richard.^[3]
Price eventually managed to form KRC Records with Harold Logan and Bill Boskent. The first single was "Just Because". It was picked up by ABC Records and from 1957 to 1959 Price recorded a series of national hits on ABC Records that were successful adaptations of the New Orleans sound, such as "Stagger Lee", "Personality", and "I'm Gonna Get Married". "Stagger Lee" topped the pop and R&B charts, sold over a million copies. Dick Clark insisted the violent content of the song be toned down when Price appeared on American Bandstand but it was still the "violent" version that was on top of the R&B charts of 1959. "Stack-o-Lee" is an old blues standard recorded many times previously by other artists. Greil Marcus, in a critical analysis of the song's history, has written that Price's was an enthusiastic hard rock version with a screaming saxophone.^[4]
In 1962, Price formed Double L Records with Logan. Wilson Pickett got his start on this label. In 1969, Logan was murdered and Price escaped by moving to Africa.
Price then refused to tour until 1993, when Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Gary U.S. Bonds accompanied him on a European tour.
Lloyd Price has since formed a line of food products with the company Lloyd Price Icon Food Brands which makes products ranging from energy bars to sugar. The brand slogan is "Good taste...Great Personality".

Notes

1. The RollingStone: The Definitive History of the Most Important Artists and Their Music, , & James Henke (eds), Anthony DeCurtis, Random House, Inc., 1980, ISBN 0-679-73728-6
2. Lloyd Price
3. What Was the First Rock'n'Roll Record, , & Steve Propes, Jim Dawson, Faber & Faber, 1992, ISBN 0-571-12939-0
4. Hall of Fame Inductee

External links

★ List of releases

★ Stagger Lee -- Lloyd Price

★ History-of-rock

★ All Music Guide

★ Icon Food Products