Billy Wright

A prime impact on Small Richard during his formative years, “Prince from the Blues” Billy Wright’s hearty shouting delivery was an Atlanta staple through the postwar years. Wright was a normal at Atlanta’s 81 Theater as a youngsters, bathing in the vaudevillians before graduating to performing and dancing position there himself. Saxist Paul “Hucklebuck” Williams captured Wright’s act if they distributed a costs with Charles Dark brown and Wynonie Harris at Atlanta’s Auditorium, suggesting the teenaged vocalist to Savoy Information employer Herman Lubinsky. Wright’s 1949 Savoy debut, “Blues for My Baby,” raised to number 3 on Billboard’s R&B graphs, and its turn, “You Satisfy,” do almost aswell. Two even more of Wright’s Savoy 78s, “Stacked Deck” and “Hey LITTTLE LADY,” had been also TOP R&B entries in 1951. The flamboyant Wright established his pal Small Richard up with effective WGST DJ Zenas Sears, who have scored the newcomer his initial agreement with RCA in 1951. It’s no knock on Richard to notice that his early edges sound like Wright. Wright documented gradually for Savoy through 1954, almost all of his classes kept in his hometown with popular regional players (saxist Fred Jackson and guitarist Wesley Jackson had been frequently recruited). After he remaining Savoy, Wright’s documenting fortunes plummeted — a 1955 day for Don Robey’s Peacock discery in Houston and classes for Open fire (unissued) and Carrollton in 1959 finished his discography. Wright later on MCed displays in Atlanta, staying energetic until a stroke in the middle-’70s slowed him down.