Tag Archives: Little Willie John

A longtime cohort of pianist/maker Sonny Thompson, singer Lula Reed recorded steadily for Cincinnati-based Ruler Records through the mid-’50s after debuting on polish in 1951 to sing Thompson’s original edition from the moving ballad “I’ll Drown in my own Tears” (a 1956 smash for Ray Charles as “Drown in my …

Some people still have them mixed up, to get it direct from the outset, Little Johnny Taylor was most widely known for his scorching gradual blues smashes “IN YOUR FREE TIME Love” (for Bay Area-based Galaxy Records in 1963) and 1971’s “EVERYONE KNOWS About My POSITIVE THING” for Ronn Records …

Ray Charles was the musician most in charge of developing spirit music. Performers like Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson also do too much to pioneer the proper execution, but Charles do a lot more to devise a fresh form of dark pop by merging ’50s R&B with gospel-powered vocals, adding …

Within a fairer reality, Mike Pedicin will be as well-known as Bill Haley, or, at least, regarded as highly as, state, Johnny Otis — his name should evoke smiles of delight from anyone old more than enough to remember rock and roll & move when it had been dance music, …