Oscar McLollie

b. USA. LA, California-based vocalist McLollie was among several leap blues artists to take pleasure from a limited period of popularity in the middle-50s in tandem using the introduction of rock and roll ‘n’ roll. Supported by his combo the Honey Jumpers, he documented several minor strikes for Modern Information before fading into obscurity. Elevated in California, McLollie was drafted in to the military during World Battle II. During his armed forces program he performed with vocal quartet the Bullets at USO displays for fellow servicemen. Following the battle completed he relocated to LA to pursue a music profession, and began focusing on the challenging lounge circuit as highlighted vocalist using a leap blues combo. In 1951 McLollie was employed by Mercury Information to become their west coastline mind of A&R for dark music, but his failing to protected any strikes for the label intended his agreement was cut brief. He continued to execute around the lounge circuit along with his combo and received his 1st big break in 1953 when he was asked to slice a new leap part, ‘The Honey Leap’. Compiled by Leon René and his child Rafael, the owners of small record label Course Information, the piece was meant like a rival to Joe Liggins’ crossover strike ‘The Honeydripper’. When the solitary started to remove René marketed the privileges to Modern Information, by which stage McLollie’s documenting was contending against versions with the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra and Jackie And Roy. McLollie’s follow-up, ‘All That Essential oil In Tx’, was a solid seller that enticed another rival edition, this time with the dance music group led by Ralph Marterie. A string of leap singles implemented in 1954, including ‘Mama Don’t Like’, ‘What You Contact ‘Em Joe’ and ‘Wiggle Bottom’ (all compiled by René beneath the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas), but non-e of these were able to match the influence created by McLollie’s initial two singles. He liked more success using the R&B ballad ‘Convicted’ that was seriously promoted by disk jockey Alan Freed and gained McLollie a slot machine on Hunter Hancock’s tv program. The b-side, ‘Move Hot Rod Move’, was a good upbeat leap blues that distributed a lot of its energy with early rock and roll ‘n’ move recordings. McLollie eventually documented for both Mercury Information and Leon René’s Course label, enjoying a pop strike on the last mentioned in 1958 using the Jeanette Baker duet, ‘Hey Female, Hey Boy’. In old age, McLollie was articles to function the lounge circuit playing his outdated hits.