Huey 'Piano' Smith
Huey "Piano" Smith was an important part of the great New Orleans piano tradition, following in the footsteps of Professor Longhair and Fats Domino to take his place among the Crescent City's R&B elite. He was also one of R&B's great comedians, his best singles matching the Coasters for genial, good-time humor, although his taste often ran more toward nonsense lyrics. Smith's sound was too earthy to match the pop crossover appeal of Domino or the Coasters, which limited his exposure, and he couldn't match the latter's amazing consistency, lacking their reliable supply of material. But at the peak of his game, Smith epitomized New Orleans R&B at its most infectious and rollicking, as showcased on his classic signature tune "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu."
Huey Smith was born in New Orleans on January 26, 1934, and began playing the piano at age 15. At the dawn of the '50s, Smith backed New Orleans guitar legends Earl King and Guitar Slim, and quickly became a popular session pianist, playing on records by the cream of the New Orleans R&B scene: Smiley Lewis (the classic "I Hear You Knockin'"), Lloyd Price, and Little Richard. During the mid-'50s, Smith began leading his own band, the Clowns, which usually featured popular local blues singer and female impersonator Bobby Marchan on lead vocals. Smith & the Clowns signed with the Ace label and scored a breakout Top Five R&B hit in 1957 with "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" which, despite becoming a classic rock & roll standard, didn't even make the pop Top 40, thanks to reticent white radio programmers. The following year, Smith scored his biggest hit with the double-sided smash "Don't You Just Know It"/"High Blood Pressure," which reached the pop Top Ten and the R&B Top Five. In 1959, Smith cut the original tune "Sea Cruise," and seeking pop radio airplay, Ace had white teenage R&B singer Frankie Ford overdub his own vocal onto Smith's backing track; the result became a nationwide hit.
Smith cut a few novelty numbers in an attempt to duplicate the success of "Rockin' Pneumonia," some even using the same type of illness joke ("Tu-Ber-Cu-Lucas and the Sinus Blues," for example). It didn't work, and Marchan left the Clowns after scoring a solo hit with "There Is Something on Your Mind" in 1960; he was replaced by female singer Gerry Hall and male vocalist Curley Moore. Smith switched briefly to the Imperial label, then returned to Ace for one last chart single in 1962, "Pop Eye." Smith spent part of the '60s recording for Instant and touring not only with the Clowns, but alternate groups the Hueys and the Pitter Pats as well. Unable to return to the charts, he eventually converted to the Jehovah's Witnesses and left the music industry permanently. Huey "Piano" Smith died in his sleep at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on February 13, 2023. He was 89 years of age.
© Steve Huey /TiVo
Artisti simili
-
Huey 'Piano' Smith - It Do Me Good
Soul - Pubblicato da Charly | Banashak & Sansu il 1 ott 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
History of Rock'n'Roll: Rib Joint (Recordings of 1950 - 1956)
Johnny Otis, Big Maybelle, Huey 'Piano' Smith
Blues - Pubblicato da Rhythm & Blues Classics il 25 feb 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Having a Good Time
Rock - Pubblicato da Shake It Up! il 9 mar 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Piano Blues - [The Dave Cash Collection]
Blues - Pubblicato da The Dave Cash Collection - OMP il 9 mag 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Happy Noel
Huey 'Piano' Smith, The Clowns
Canzoni di Natale - Pubblicato da Noel’s shots il 17 nov 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
It's Christmas Time with Huey Piano Smith & The Clowns
Huey 'Piano' Smith, The Clowns
Canzoni di Natale - Pubblicato da silentnight records il 24 nov 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rock Pneumonie & The Booie Woogie Flu
Blues - Pubblicato da Vanilla OMP il 6 dic 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Huey Piano Smith & The Clowns Canta Feliz Natal
Huey 'Piano' Smith, The Clowns
Canzoni di Natale - Pubblicato da VésperaDeNatal Records il 22 ott 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Young Blood
R&B - Pubblicato da Jukebox Entertainment il 22 apr 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Don't You Just Know It (Sansu Session)
R&B - Pubblicato da Delta il 6 nov 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rockin' Pneumonia (45 Rpm)
Pop - Pubblicato da Fuel Records il 6 ott 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jingle Bells
Huey 'Piano' Smith, The Clowns
Canzoni di Natale - Pubblicato da Blue Noel Records il 5 nov 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Whatcha Call 'Em (Extended Version)
Rock - Pubblicato da GCM - Prime il 17 feb 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Huey Piano Smith & The Clowns Canta la Navidad
Huey 'Piano' Smith, The Clowns
Canzoni di Natale - Pubblicato da FelizNochebuena Records il 7 nov 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Merry Christmas with Huey Piano Smith & the Clowns
Huey 'Piano' Smith, The Clowns
Canzoni di Natale - Pubblicato da Christmas Evening Records il 6 dic 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
High Blood Pressure
Huey 'Piano' Smith, The Clowns
Jazz - Pubblicato da Stars and Stripes il 31 ott 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Everybody's Whalin'
Soul - Pubblicato da Diamond Days il 5 mag 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Havin' a Good Time with Huey
Jazz - Pubblicato da AP MUSIC LTD il 1 gen 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rocking Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu
Huey 'Piano' Smith, The Clowns
Jazz - Pubblicato da Black Sheep Music il 31 ott 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
All I Want for Christmas
Huey 'Piano' Smith, The Clowns
Canzoni di Natale - Pubblicato da Blue Noel Records il 22 dic 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo