H-Bomb Ferguson

His extroverted antics and multi-colored fright hairpiece might invite the moment dismissal of Cincinnati-based singer Robert “H-Bomb” Ferguson as some kind of comic light-weight. The truth is, he’s among the last survivors from the leap blues period whose once-slavish Wynonie Harris imitations possess mellowed right into a extremely unique vocal delivery of his personal. Ferguson’s father, a reverend, payed for piano lessons for his child, demanding he adhere to sacred melodies within the 88s. Body fat opportunity — by age group 19, Bobby was on the highway with Joe Liggins & the Honeydrippers. If they hit NY, Ferguson branched off by himself. Comedian Nipsey Russell, after that emcee at Harlem’s Baby Grand Golf club, got the vocalist a gig in the nightspot. In the past, Ferguson was billed as “the Cobra Child.” Singles for Derby, Atlas, and Prestige preceded a 1951-1952 hookup with Savoy Information that produced a few of Ferguson’s greatest waxings. Many of them had been apparent Harris knockoffs, but eminently swinging types with top-flight support (blasting saxists Purvis Henson and Count number Hastings had been aboard the times). Drummer Jack port “The Carry” Parker, who performed within the Savoy times, allegedly bestowed the vocalist along with his explosive monicker. Additional accounts credit Savoy maker Lee Magid with coining H-Bomb’s deal with; in any event, his dynamite vocals satisfied the billing. Ferguson ultimately produced Cincinnati his house, documenting for Finch, Big Bang, ARC, as well as the far more exclusive Federal government in 1960. H-Bomb terminated his touring routine in the first ’70s. When he came back from premature pension, his exclusive wig-wearing shtick (influenced by Rick Wayne’ coiffure) was completely bloom. Supported by his good young music group, the Medicine Males, Ferguson waxed his long-overdue debut recording, Wiggin’ Out, for Chicago’s Earwig logo design in 1993. It demonstrated him to become as crazy as ever (see the gloriously sleazy “Meatloaf”), a talented pianist on top of that, and much more his very own man than previously. H-Bomb became a normal in the blues and R&B celebration circuit, keeping Cincinnati as his house bottom until his loss of life there on November 26, 2006.