Biography
by Steve Huey
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 towards 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.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/huey-piano-smith-mn0000830028/biography
Note:
Huey "Piano" Smith passed away on 13 February at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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Biografía
por Steve Huey
Huey "Piano" Smith fue una parte importante de la gran tradición pianística de Nueva Orleans, siguiendo los pasos de Professor Longhair y Fats Domino para ocupar su lugar en la élite del R&B de la Crescent City. También fue uno de los grandes comediantes del R&B, y sus mejores singles igualaban a los de los Coasters en humor genial y buenrollista, aunque su gusto a menudo se inclinaba más hacia letras sin sentido. El sonido de Smith era demasiado terrenal para igualar el atractivo pop de Domino o los Coasters, lo que limitó su exposición, y no pudo igualar la asombrosa consistencia de estos últimos, al carecer de su fiable suministro de material. Pero en su mejor momento, Sm ith personificaba el R&B de Nueva Orleans en su forma más contagiosa y alegre, como demuestra su clásico tema "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu".
Huey Smith nació en Nueva Orleans el 26 de enero de 1934 y empezó a tocar el piano a los 15 años. En los albores de los años 50, Smith acompañó a las leyendas de la guitarra de Nueva Orleans Earl King y Guitar Slim, y rápidamente se convirtió en un popular pianista de sesión, tocando en discos de la flor y nata de la escena R&B de Nueva Orleans: Smiley Lewis (el clásico "I Hear You Knockin'"), Lloyd Price y Little Richard. A mediados de los años 50, Smith empezó a liderar su propia banda, los Clowns, que solían contar con el popular cantante local de blues e imitador de mujeres Bobby Marchan como voz principal. Smith & the Clowns firmaron un contrato con la discográfica Ace y consiguieron un gran éxito en el Top 5 de R&B en 1957 con "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu", que a pesar de convertirse en un clásico del rock & roll ni siquiera llegó al Top 40 pop, gracias a la reticencia de los programadores de radio blancos. Al año siguiente, Smith consiguió su mayor éxito con la canción de doble cara "Don't You Just Know It"/"High Blood Pressure", que alcanzó el Top Ten del pop y el Top Five del R&B. En 1959, Smith grabó el tema original "Sea Cruise" y, en busca de repercusión en la radio pop, Ace hizo que el cantante de R&B Frankie Ford, un adolescente blanco, sobregrabara su propia voz en la pista de Smith; el resultado se convirtió en un éxito nacional.
Smith grabó algunos temas novedosos en un intento de duplicar el éxito de "Rockin' Pneumonia", algunos incluso utilizando el mismo tipo de broma sobre la enfermedad ("Tu-Ber-Cu-Lucas and the Sinus Blues", por ejemplo). No funcionó, y Marchan dejó los Clowns después de conseguir un éxito en solitario con "There Is Something on Your Mind" en 1960; fue sustituido por la cantante femenina Gerry Hall y el vocalista masculino Curley Moore. Smith cambió brevemente al sello Imperial, y luego regresó a Ace para un último sencillo en 1962, "Pop Eye". Smith pasó parte de los años 60 grabando para Instant y haciendo giras no sólo con los Clowns, sino también con grupos alternativos como los Hueys y los Pitter Pats. Incapaz de volver a las listas de éxitos, acabó convirtiéndose a los Testigos de Jehová y abandonó definitivamente la industria musical.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/huey-piano-smith-mn0000830028/biography
Nota:
Huey "Piano" Smith falleció el 13 de febrero en su casa de Baton Rouge, Luisiana.
1 - Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu (Part 1)
2 - Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu (Part 2)
3 - Little Liza Jane
4 - Everybody's Whalin'
5 - Free, Single And Disengaged
6 - Just A Lonely Clown
7 - Don't You Just Know It
8 - High Blood Pressure
9 - We Like Birdland
10 - Havin' A Good Time
11 - Don't You Know Yockomo
12 - Well I'll Be John Brown
13 - Would You Believe It (I Have A Cold)
14 - Genevienve
15 - Tu-Ber-Cu-Lucas And The Sinus Blues
16 - Dearest Darling
17 - Beatnik Blues
18 - For Cryin' Out Loud
19 - She Got Low Down
20 - Mean Mean Man
21 - Pop-Eye
22 - Scald-Dog
23 - Little Chickee Wha Wha
24 - I Think You're Jiving Me
1997
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