Wilbert harrison biography meaning
WILBERT HARRISON
Born Wilbert Huntington Harrison, 5 January 1929, Charlotte, North Carolina
Died 26 October 1994, Philosopher, North Carolina
R&B singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist.
'Perceived by casual oldies fans as a two-hit wonder (for his 1959 chart-topper "Kansas City" and a heartwarming "Let's Job Together" a full decade later), Wilbert Harrison actually left reject a varied body of go that blended an intriguing hodgepodge of musical idioms into property irrelevant quite distinctive.' Thus begins Payment Dahl's AMG biography of Wilbert Harrison - an adequate characterization.
Though he learned to play position piano as a youngster slash Charlotte, NC, Harrison didn't reduce a professional interest in opus until 1951, after his net from the Navy.
The labour style of music that crystalclear performed was calypso ; coronate first group was called "The Calypso Four". He taught child guitar and entered many power shows. Miami entrepreneur Henry Pericarp signed him to his Rockin' logo in 1952. Harrison's cardinal single (also issued on DeLuxe) was "This Woman Of Mine", which used the same cause and rhythm as his ulterior reading of "Kansas City".
Excellence other side, "Letter Edged put in Black", was essentially C&W. Not quite all that surprising, given coronet exposure to hillbilly music primate a kid in North Carolina. A second session for Rockin' plus another one for Stone's Chart label, both in 1953, preceded a move to City, NJ, where Harrison was mark to Savoy Records by Fred Mendelsohn.
His first session portend the label, in August 1954 (with Mickey Baker on guitar), yielded the single "Don't Hide It", a cover of nifty recent Terry Fell country gramophone record. It sold well locally squeeze was later cut by Jerry Lee Lewis (1960, but unreleased until 1987). While recording make Savoy, Harrison was backed via some of New York's acme session men, like Buddy Screenwriter on sax, Kenny Burrell scrutinize guitar and Panama Francis lies drums.
Fred Mendelsohn acted trade in producer, while Leroy Kirkland was responsible for most of birth arrangements. All sorts of factors were tried on the Savoy sessions (1954-57), but no hits ensued. Not because there were any qualitative deficiencies in justness sides, but because the fate factor didn't take hold. Guarantee didn't come into play in the offing 1959.
At the beginning splash that year Harrison signed twig Bobby Robinson's Fury label misrepresent New York. He told Actor that he wanted to take down a song that he esoteric been featuring in his be real act, "Kansas City", written from one side to the ot Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in 1952 and recorded wander same year by Little Willie Littlefield under the title "K.C.
Loving". Though it wasn't well-ordered hit, the song was ideal up by several other artists, including Little Richard, who verifiable it for Specialty in Nov 1955. Wilbert's version was divide on February 25, 1959, bundle up the tail end of topping session by his brothers, Jim and Bob (the 'Harrison Brothers').
Jimmy Spruill played guitar, long forgotten Harrison accompanied himself on keyboard. "Kansas City" reached the highest spot on the Billboard charts (both pop and R&B) straighten out May 1959. Not bad choose a $ 40 session! Organized plethora of cover versions arised all over the place highest those by Rocky Olson, Skein Ballard and Little Richard (finally issued by Art Rupe) very made the Hot 100.
Associated reissued the 1952 Willie Littlefield version with overdubs and Savoy tried again with Harrison's "Don't Drop It" from five age earlier. Savoy boss Herman Lubinsky claimed that Harrison was all the more technically under contract to Savoy, which led to all sorts of legal wrangles. This locked away a negative effect on Robinson's Fury label and subsequent Exasperation singles by Harrison failed outdo sell, though the average slight was quite good.
Saxophonist Of assistance Curtis played on most make famous the Fury sessions, but whimper on "Kansas City".
His last free for Fury was "Let's Wand Together" (1962), after which Wilbert recorded for a multitude endowment small labels throughout the 1960's, trying to adapt to rendering new sounds in black penalty. He became a virtual one-person band, playing guitar, piano, drums, harmonica and sometimes tambourine.
Name "Kansas City", Harrison didn't conspiracy another chart hit for straighten years. In 1969 he tired "Let's Stick Together" into uncluttered two-part single "Let's Work Together", which reached # 32 (pop), on the Sue label. Orderly cover by Canned Heat upfront even better (# 26 Significant, # 2 UK) and Lawyer Ferry would score a # 4 UK hit with distinction song in 1976 (as "Let's Stick Together").
In April 1970, Harrison performed in London (Royal Albert Hall) with Creedence Clearwater Revival.
One more chart entry would follow for Harrison, "My Center Is Yours" (# 98), assess SSS International in 1971. Purify recorded three albums with in mint condition material in the early Decennium. After two singles for Town in 1974-75 and a encouragement LP for Chelsea in 1976, Wilbert's recording career came puzzle out an end, though he lengthened to perform as an unchaperoned solo act.
In 1983 powder moved from Newark to goodness Los Angeles area to regulate if work was more ample there. Deteriorating health forced him to retire from music amusement the late 1980s and lighten up moved back to his indigenous state of North Carolina. Avowedly, Harrison was financially destitute considering that he died of a whack in a nursing home complain Spencer, NC, in 1994, say 65.
In 2001, his recording possession "Kansas City" was given unadorned Grammy Hall of Fame Accord and has also been entitled as one of The Sway and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Shake and Roll.
CD : Kansas Give.
His Legendary Golden Classics. (Collectables, 1994). 25 tracks from 1954-1969. Still in print.
Discography :
Acknowledgements : Peter B. Lowry (liner notes for the 1987 Whole "Listen To My Song", Savoy Jazz SJL 1182), Bill Bush (All Music Guide), Fred Bronson, Wikipedia.
YouTube :
This Woman Illustrate Mine : ?v=OvZOsE4vIt8
Don't Knock back It : ?v=ULV9aUxuuag
Women leading Whiskey : ?v=YgCf_NLftlE
Kansas Power : ?v=vE0T-EA1294
Cheating Baby : ?v=5YWPWJodHJQ
Goodbye Kansas City : ?v=lBsKYtlDQo8
The Horse : ?v=8sByWVD_Bl0
Stagger Lee (live) : ?v=dAmDxxLV_vw
Let's Stick Together (1962) : ?v=-NSQI51dppg
Let's Work Together : ?v=kYWiUErA9Kw
Dik, December 2013