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{{short description|American singer}}
{{short description|American singer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Billy Wright
| image = Billy_Wright_singer.jpg
| name = Billy Wright
| caption =
| image = Billy Wright publicity photo for Peacock Records.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| background = solo_singer
| image_size =
| birth_name = William Wright
| birth_name = William Wright
| alias = Prince of the Blues
| alias = Prince of the Blues
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1918|05|21|mf=y}} or 1928 or 1932
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1918|05|21|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Atlanta, Georgia]], United States
| birth_place = [[Atlanta, Georgia]], United States
| death_date = {{Death date|1991|10|28|mf=y}} (aged 59/63/73)
| death_date = {{Death date|1991|10|28|mf=y}} (aged 73)
| death_place = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
| death_place = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
| origin =
| origin =
| instrument =
| instrument =
| genre = [[Soul blues]], [[jump blues]], [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]]
| genre = {{Flatlist|
* [[Jump blues]]
⚫
| occupation = [[Singing|Singer]]
* [[R&B]]}}
⚫
| years_active = 1930s or 1940s&ndash;1991
⚫
| occupation = Singer
⚫
| label = [[Savoy Records|Savoy]], [[Peacock Records|Peacock]]
⚫
| years_active = 1930s or 1940s–1991
⚫
| associated_acts =
⚫
| label = {{Hlist|[[Savoy Records|Savoy]]|[[Peacock Records|Peacock]]}}
⚫
| associated_acts =
}}
}}
⚫
'''William Wright''' (May 21 or 23, 1918,<ref name="bare">{{cite book| first1= Bob| last1= Eagle| first2= Eric S.| last2= LeBlanc| year= 2013| title= Blues: A Regional Experience| publisher= Praeger | location= Santa Barbara, California| pages=272 | isbn= 978-0313344237}}</ref><ref name="ajcobit"/> – October 28, 1991)<ref name="ajcobit"/> was an American singer. He is considered one of [[Little Richard]]'s greatest influences in his formative years.

⚫
'''William Wright''' (May 21, 1918,<ref name="bare">{{cite book| first1= Bob| last1= Eagle| first2= Eric S.| last2= LeBlanc| year= 2013| title= Blues: A Regional Experience| publisher= Praeger | location= Santa Barbara, California| pages=272 | isbn= 978-0313344237}}</ref> or 1932 – October 28, 1991)<ref name="Dead"/> was an American [[jump blues]] singer. He is considered one of [[Little Richard]]'s greatest influences in his formative years.


==Biography==
==Biography==
Wright was born in [[Atlanta, Georgia]]. There is uncertainty over his year of birth. He claimed to have been born in 1932, but the researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc have stated that he was born in 1918, on the basis of official records and a newspaper obituary;<ref name="bare"/> other sources suggest 1928.<ref name="whitburnr&b">{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–1995|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=1996 |publisher=Record Research |page=495}}</ref>
Wright was born in [[Atlanta, Georgia]]. There is uncertainty over his year of birth. He claimed to have been born in 1932, but the researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc have stated that he was born in 1918, on the basis of official records and a newspaper obituary;<ref name="bare"/> other sources suggest 1928.<ref name="whitburnr&b">{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–1995|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=1996 |publisher=Record Research |page=495}}</ref> As a child, Wright excelled at singing [[gospel music]] in his local church.


As a child, Wright excelled at singing [[gospel music]] in his local church. In his youth, he worked as a dancer<ref name="whitburnr&b"/> and as a [[female impersonator]]<ref>[http://illkeepyouposted.typepad.com/ill_keep_you_posted/2011/04/bobby-marchan-was-there-something-on-his-mind.html "The REAL Tent Show Queens: What Was on Their Mind?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106002621/http://illkeepyouposted.typepad.com/ill_keep_you_posted/2011/04/bobby-marchan-was-there-something-on-his-mind.html |date=2016-11-06 }} Corey @ I'll Keep You Posted, April 5, 2011]. Retrieved 27 October 2016.</ref> but developed as a singer when he began performing at Atlanta's 81 Theater. The saxophonist [[Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams]] saw Wright's performance when the two shared a bill with [[Charles Brown (musician)|Charles Brown]] and [[Wynonie Harris]]. Williams recommended him to [[Herman Lubinsky]] of [[Savoy Records]].<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-wright-mn0000770749/biography|title=Bill Wright: Biography|publisher=Allmusic.com|author=Dahl, Bill|accessdate=July 6, 2015}}</ref><ref name=marion>Marion, J. C. (2004). [http://home.earthlink.net/~v1tiger/bwright.html "Prince of the Blues: Billy Wright"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220233/http://home.earthlink.net/~v1tiger/bwright.html |date=2016-03-03 }}. ''Jamm Up''. Retrieved 27 October 2016</ref>
Wright's first musical opportunity came in the [[tent show]]s that were popular at the time. In these events, men dressed in drag and acted and sang in minstrel shows. He worked as a dancer<ref name="whitburnr&b"/> and as a [[Drag queen|female impersonator]].<ref>[http://illkeepyouposted.typepad.com/ill_keep_you_posted/2011/04/bobby-marchan-was-there-something-on-his-mind.html "The REAL Tent Show Queens: What Was on Their Mind?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106002621/http://illkeepyouposted.typepad.com/ill_keep_you_posted/2011/04/bobby-marchan-was-there-something-on-his-mind.html |date=November 6, 2016 }} Corey @ I'll Keep You Posted, April 5, 2011]. Retrieved October 27, 2016.</ref> Sometimes, he even balanced a chair on his chin while he sang.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hound |first=The |date=June 15, 2009 |title=TheHoundBlog: Billy Wright |url=http://thehoundblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/billy-wright.html |access-date=July 29, 2023 |website=TheHoundBlog}}</ref> This led to the flamboyant persona he adopted for his short career that he passed onto Little Richard. It also gave him experience in make-up which came in handy with his performances.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Billy Wright: "You Satisfy" – Spontaneous Lunacy |url=https://www.spontaneouslunacy.net/billy-wright-you-satisfy-savoy-710/ |access-date=July 29, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref> After a few years as a female impersonator, Billy focused more on singing,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=The 1950s Queer Black Performers Who Inspired Little Richard |url=https://thewire.in/the-arts/the-1950s-queer-black-performers-who-inspired-little-richard |access-date=July 29, 2023 |website=The Wire}}</ref> performing at Atlanta's 81 Theater. The saxophonist [[Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams]] saw Wright's performance when the two shared a bill with [[Charles Brown (musician)|Charles Brown]] and [[Wynonie Harris]]. Williams recommended him to [[Herman Lubinsky]] of [[Savoy Records]].<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-wright-mn0000770749/biography|title=Bill Wright: Biography|work=AllMusic|author=Dahl, Bill|accessdate=July 6, 2015}}</ref><ref name=marion>{{cite web |author=Marion, J. C. |year=2004 |url=http://home.earthlink.net/~v1tiger/bwright.html |title=Prince of the Blues: Billy Wright|url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220233/http://home.earthlink.net/~v1tiger/bwright.html |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |work=Jamm Up |access-date=October 27, 2016}}</ref>


His first record, "Blues for My Baby", recorded with Howard Collander's orchestra, rose to number 3 on the ''Billboard'' [[R&B chart]] in 1949. He had three more records on the R&B chart: "You Satisfy" (number 9, 1949), "Stacked Deck" (number 9, 1951), and "Hey, Little Girl" (number 10, 1951).<ref name="whitburnr&b"/> A flamboyant performer, he was known as the "Prince of the Blues" throughout his career.<ref name="Dead"/> He was a key figure in Atlanta blues after World War II and had a major influence on the rock-and-roll pioneer [[Little Richard]], whom he helped get his first recording contract in 1951.<ref name="white">White, Charles. (2003). ''The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Authorised Biography''. Omnibus Press. P. 25.</ref> In the early 1950s, the openly gay Wright also helped in establishing Richard's look, advising him to use pancake makeup on his face and wear his hair in a long-haired pompadour style similar to his.{{sfn|White|2003|p=25}}
His first record, "Blues for My Baby", recorded with Howard Collander's orchestra, rose to number 3 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[R&B chart]] in 1949. He had three more records on the R&B chart: "You Satisfy" (number 9, 1949), "Stacked Deck" (number 9, 1951), and "Hey, Little Girl" (number 10, 1951).<ref name="whitburnr&b"/> A flamboyant performer, he was known as the "Prince of the Blues" throughout his career.<ref name="ajcobit"/> He was a key figure in [[Atlanta blues]] after [[World War II]] and had a major influence on the [[rock-and-roll]] pioneer [[Little Richard]], whom he helped get his first recording contract in 1951.<ref name="white">White, Charles. (2003). ''The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Authorised Biography''. Omnibus Press. P. 25.</ref> In the early 1950s, the openly gay Wright also helped in establishing Richard's look, advising him to use [[Foundation (cosmetics)|pancake makeup]] on his face and wear his hair in a long-haired [[Pompadour (hairstyle)|pompadour]] style similar to his.<ref name="white"/>


In 1954, Wright signed a contract with [[Peacock Records]], owned by [[Don Robey]], in Houston, Texas.<ref name=marion/> He made his last recordings in 1959. He primarily worked as an [[MC]] in Atlanta<ref name=marion/> but continued to perform until he suffered a stroke. He died of a [[pulmonary embolism]]<ref name="Dead">Doc Rock. [http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1990.html?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true The Dead Rock Stars Club: 1990–1991]. Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Accessed July 2010.</ref> just before his 1991 Halloween show at the Royal Peacock in Atlanta.
In 1954, Wright signed a contract with [[Peacock Records]], owned by [[Don Robey]], in Houston, Texas.<ref name=marion/> He made his last recordings in 1959. He primarily worked as an [[MC]] in Atlanta<ref name=marion/> but continued to perform until he suffered a stroke. He died of a [[pulmonary embolism]]<ref name="ajcobit"/> just before his 1991 Halloween show at the Royal Peacock in Atlanta.{{cn|date=December 2023}} He was buried in [[South-View Cemetery]].<ref name="ajcobit">{{cite news|last=Bennett|first=Tom|date=October 31, 1991|title=Mr. Billy Wright, local R&B singer known as the 'Prince of the Blues'|work=Atlanta Constitution|page=B6}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Wright was openly homosexual.<ref name=":0" />


==Discography==
==Discography==


===Singles===
===Singles===
*"Blues for My Baby" / "You Satisfy" (Savoy 710), 11/1949
* "Blues for My Baby" / "You Satisfy" ([[Savoy Records|Savoy]] 710), 11/1949
*"Man’s Brand Boogie" / "Beg-a-Dog" (Atlanta 6000), 1950
* "Man's Brand Boogie" / "Beg-a-Dog" (Atlanta 6000), 1950
*"I Keep Drinkin'" / "Billy’s Boogie Blues" (Savoy 715),1950
* "I Keep Drinkin'" / "Billy's Boogie Blues" (Savoy 715),1950
*"Back Biting Woman" / "Thinkin' Blues" (Savoy 733), 1950
* "Back Biting Woman" / "Thinkin' Blues" (Savoy 733), 1950
*"After Dark Blues" / "Heavy Hearted Blues" (Savoy 741), 1951
* "After Dark Blues" / "Heavy Hearted Blues" (Savoy 741), 1951
*"'Fore Day Blues" / "Empty Hands" (Savoy 761), 1951
* "'Fore Day Blues" / "Empty Hands" (Savoy 761), 1951
*"Mean Old Wine" / "Keep Your Hands on Your Heart" (Savoy 776), 11/1951
* "Mean Old Wine" / "Keep Your Hands on Your Heart" (Savoy 776), 11/1951
*"Stacked Deck" / "Mercy Mercy" (Savoy 781), 1951
* "Stacked Deck" / "Mercy Mercy" (Savoy 781), 1951
*"Hey Little Girl" / "Gotta Find My Baby" (Savoy 810), 1951
* "Hey Little Girl" / "Gotta Find My Baby" (Savoy 810), 1951
*"New Kind of Lovin'" / "When the Wagon Comes" (Savoy 819), 1952
* "New Kind of Lovin'" / "When the Wagon Comes" (Savoy 819), 1952
*"Turn Your Lamps Down Low" / "Drinkin' and Thinkin'" (Savoy 827), 1952
* "Turn Your Lamps Down Low" / "Drinkin' and Thinkin'" (Savoy 827), 1952
*"Married Woman’s Boogie" / "Every Evening" (Savoy 837), 1952
* "Married Woman's Boogie" / "Every Evening" (Savoy 837), 1952
*"If I Didn’t Love You" / "Goin' Down Slow" (Savoy 870), 12/1952
* "If I Didn't Love You" / "Goin' Down Slow" (Savoy 870), 12/1952
*"{{sic|hide=y|After A|while|expected=After a While}}" / "Four Cold Cold Walls" (Savoy 1100), 5/1953
* "{{sic|hide=y|After A|while|expected=After a While}}" / "Four Cold Cold Walls" (Savoy 1100), 5/1953
*"Live the Life" / "I Remember" (Savoy 1127), 4/1954
* "Live the Life" / "I Remember" (Savoy 1127), 4/1954
*"Bad Luck, Heartaches, and Trouble" / "The Question" (Peacock 1657), 7/1955
* "Bad Luck, Heartaches, and Trouble" / "The Question" ([[Peacock Records|Peacock]] 1657), 7/1955
*"Have Mercy Baby" / "I Love You Sweetheart" (Carrollton 801), 1959
* "Have Mercy Baby" / "I Love You Sweetheart" (Carrollton 801), 1959


===Other recordings===
===Other recordings===
*"Walking the Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, 9/23/1949
* "Walking the Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, September 23, 1949
*"Ride on Little Girl" (Savoy), unreleased, 1/7/1950
* "Ride on Little Girl" (Savoy), unreleased, July 1, 1950
*"Misfortune Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, 4/24/1950
* "Misfortune Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, April 24, 1950
*"Restless Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, 1951 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
* "Restless Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, 1951 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
*"[[This Love of Mine]]" (Savoy), unreleased, 1951 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
* "[[This Love of Mine]]" (Savoy), unreleased, 1951 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
*"If I Had My Life to Live Over" (Savoy), unreleased, 1952 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
* "If I Had My Life to Live Over" (Savoy), unreleased, 1952 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
*"Sad Hour Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, 1952 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
* "Sad Hour Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, 1952 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
*"Do Something for Me", recorded live at the Harlem Theater, Atlanta, Georgia, 1952 (included on the album ''Stacked Deck'')
* "Do Something for Me", recorded live at the Harlem Theater, Atlanta, Georgia, 1952 (included on the album ''Stacked Deck'')
*"Keep Your Hand on Your Heart and Your Mind on Me" (Savoy), 1953 (included on Savoy LP-2255)
* "Keep Your Hand on Your Heart and Your Mind on Me" (Savoy), 1953 (included on Savoy LP-2255)
*"Will You Need Me" (Savoy), unreleased, 1954 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
* "Will You Need Me" (Savoy), unreleased, 1954 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
*"Baby Don't You Want a Man Like Me" (Peacock), unreleased, 1955
* "Baby Don't You Want a Man Like Me" (Peacock), unreleased, 1955
*"Let's Be Friends" (Peacock), unreleased, 1955
* "Let's Be Friends" (Peacock), unreleased, 1955
* Titles unknown (Fury/Fire), unreleased, 1959
* Titles unknown ([[Fury Records|Fury]]/[[Fire Records|Fire]]), unreleased, 1959


===Albums===
===Albums===
*''Stacked Deck'' (Route 66), 1980
* ''Stacked Deck'' ([[Route 66 Records|Route 66]]), 1980
*''Goin Down Slow'' (Savoy LP-1146), 1984
* ''Goin Down Slow'' (Savoy LP-1146), 1984
*Various artists, ''Southern Blues: Roots of Rock and Roll Volume 11'' (Savoy LP-2255), 1985
* Various artists, ''Southern Blues: Roots of Rock and Roll Volume 11'' (Savoy LP-2255), 1985
*''Billy Wright/Little Richard: Baby Don’t You Want a Man Like Me'' (Ace 193), 1987
* ''Billy Wright/Little Richard: Baby Don't You Want a Man Like Me'' ([[Ace Records (United States)|Ace]] 193), 1987
*''Billy Wright'' (Savoy Jazz), 1994
* ''Billy Wright'' (Savoy Jazz), 1994
*''Classics 1949-1951'' (Melodie Jazz Classics), 2003
* ''Classics 1949-1951'' (Melodie Jazz Classics), 2003
*''Billy Wright'' (Savoy Jazz), 1994
* ''Billy Wright'' (Savoy Jazz), 1994
*''Have Mercy Baby'' (Blue City BCCD-810), including his Peacock, Carrollton, and Atlanta recordings
* ''Have Mercy Baby'' (Blue City BCCD-810), including his Peacock, Carrollton, and Atlanta recordings


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
* [{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p139858/biography|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic on Billy Wright]
* [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p139858/biography|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic on Billy Wright]


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:1932 births]]
[[Category:1932 births]]
[[Category:1991 deaths]]
[[Category:1991 deaths]]
[[Category:American blues singers]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American male singers]]
[[Category:African-American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
⚫
[[Category:Gay musicians]]
[[Category:LGBT African Americans]]
[[Category:LGBT musicians from the United States]]
⚫
[[Category:Savoy Records artists]]
⚫
[[Category:Musicians from Atlanta]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:African-American drag queens]]
[[Category:African-American LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:American blues singers]]
⚫
[[Category:American drag queens]]
⚫
[[Category:American gay musicians]]
[[Category:Burials at South-View Cemetery]]
[[Category:Deaths from pulmonary embolism]]
[[Category:Deaths from pulmonary embolism]]
[[Category:20th-century male singers]]
[[Category:Savoy Records artists]]
⚫
[[Category:Singers from Atlanta]]

Latest revision as of 21:39, 2 November 2024

Billy Wright
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Wright
Also known asPrince of the Blues
Born(1918-05-21)May 21, 1918
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Died(1991-10-28)October 28, 1991 (aged 73)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres
OccupationSinger
Years active1930s or 1940s–1991
Labels

William Wright (May 21 or 23, 1918,[1][2] – October 28, 1991)[2] was an American singer. He is considered one of Little Richard's greatest influences in his formative years.

Biography

[edit]

Wright was born in Atlanta, Georgia. There is uncertainty over his year of birth. He claimed to have been born in 1932, but the researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc have stated that he was born in 1918, on the basis of official records and a newspaper obituary;[1] other sources suggest 1928.[3] As a child, Wright excelled at singing gospel music in his local church.

Wright's first musical opportunity came in the tent shows that were popular at the time. In these events, men dressed in drag and acted and sang in minstrel shows. He worked as a dancer[3] and as a female impersonator.[4] Sometimes, he even balanced a chair on his chin while he sang.[5] This led to the flamboyant persona he adopted for his short career that he passed onto Little Richard. It also gave him experience in make-up which came in handy with his performances.[6] After a few years as a female impersonator, Billy focused more on singing,[7] performing at Atlanta's 81 Theater. The saxophonist Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams saw Wright's performance when the two shared a bill with Charles Brown and Wynonie Harris. Williams recommended him to Herman Lubinsky of Savoy Records.[8][9]

His first record, "Blues for My Baby", recorded with Howard Collander's orchestra, rose to number 3 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1949. He had three more records on the R&B chart: "You Satisfy" (number 9, 1949), "Stacked Deck" (number 9, 1951), and "Hey, Little Girl" (number 10, 1951).[3] A flamboyant performer, he was known as the "Prince of the Blues" throughout his career.[2] He was a key figure in Atlanta blues after World War II and had a major influence on the rock-and-roll pioneer Little Richard, whom he helped get his first recording contract in 1951.[10] In the early 1950s, the openly gay Wright also helped in establishing Richard's look, advising him to use pancake makeup on his face and wear his hair in a long-haired pompadour style similar to his.[10]

In 1954, Wright signed a contract with Peacock Records, owned by Don Robey, in Houston, Texas.[9] He made his last recordings in 1959. He primarily worked as an MC in Atlanta[9] but continued to perform until he suffered a stroke. He died of a pulmonary embolism[2] just before his 1991 Halloween show at the Royal Peacock in Atlanta.[citation needed] He was buried in South-View Cemetery.[2]

Personal life

[edit]

Wright was openly homosexual.[7]

Discography

[edit]

Singles

[edit]
  • "Blues for My Baby" / "You Satisfy" (Savoy 710), 11/1949
  • "Man's Brand Boogie" / "Beg-a-Dog" (Atlanta 6000), 1950
  • "I Keep Drinkin'" / "Billy's Boogie Blues" (Savoy 715),1950
  • "Back Biting Woman" / "Thinkin' Blues" (Savoy 733), 1950
  • "After Dark Blues" / "Heavy Hearted Blues" (Savoy 741), 1951
  • "'Fore Day Blues" / "Empty Hands" (Savoy 761), 1951
  • "Mean Old Wine" / "Keep Your Hands on Your Heart" (Savoy 776), 11/1951
  • "Stacked Deck" / "Mercy Mercy" (Savoy 781), 1951
  • "Hey Little Girl" / "Gotta Find My Baby" (Savoy 810), 1951
  • "New Kind of Lovin'" / "When the Wagon Comes" (Savoy 819), 1952
  • "Turn Your Lamps Down Low" / "Drinkin' and Thinkin'" (Savoy 827), 1952
  • "Married Woman's Boogie" / "Every Evening" (Savoy 837), 1952
  • "If I Didn't Love You" / "Goin' Down Slow" (Savoy 870), 12/1952
  • "After Awhile" / "Four Cold Cold Walls" (Savoy 1100), 5/1953
  • "Live the Life" / "I Remember" (Savoy 1127), 4/1954
  • "Bad Luck, Heartaches, and Trouble" / "The Question" (Peacock 1657), 7/1955
  • "Have Mercy Baby" / "I Love You Sweetheart" (Carrollton 801), 1959

Other recordings

[edit]
  • "Walking the Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, September 23, 1949
  • "Ride on Little Girl" (Savoy), unreleased, July 1, 1950
  • "Misfortune Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, April 24, 1950
  • "Restless Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, 1951 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
  • "This Love of Mine" (Savoy), unreleased, 1951 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
  • "If I Had My Life to Live Over" (Savoy), unreleased, 1952 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
  • "Sad Hour Blues" (Savoy), unreleased, 1952 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
  • "Do Something for Me", recorded live at the Harlem Theater, Atlanta, Georgia, 1952 (included on the album Stacked Deck)
  • "Keep Your Hand on Your Heart and Your Mind on Me" (Savoy), 1953 (included on Savoy LP-2255)
  • "Will You Need Me" (Savoy), unreleased, 1954 (included on Savoy LP-1146)
  • "Baby Don't You Want a Man Like Me" (Peacock), unreleased, 1955
  • "Let's Be Friends" (Peacock), unreleased, 1955
  • Titles unknown (Fury/Fire), unreleased, 1959

Albums

[edit]
  • Stacked Deck (Route 66), 1980
  • Goin Down Slow (Savoy LP-1146), 1984
  • Various artists, Southern Blues: Roots of Rock and Roll Volume 11 (Savoy LP-2255), 1985
  • Billy Wright/Little Richard: Baby Don't You Want a Man Like Me (Ace 193), 1987
  • Billy Wright (Savoy Jazz), 1994
  • Classics 1949-1951 (Melodie Jazz Classics), 2003
  • Billy Wright (Savoy Jazz), 1994
  • Have Mercy Baby (Blue City BCCD-810), including his Peacock, Carrollton, and Atlanta recordings

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 272. ISBN 978-0313344237.
  2. ^ a b c d e Bennett, Tom (October 31, 1991). "Mr. Billy Wright, local R&B singer known as the 'Prince of the Blues'". Atlanta Constitution. p. B6.
  3. ^ a b c Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–1995. Record Research. p. 495.
  4. ^ "The REAL Tent Show Queens: What Was on Their Mind?" Archived November 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Corey @ I'll Keep You Posted, April 5, 2011]. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  5. ^ Hound, The (June 15, 2009). "TheHoundBlog: Billy Wright". TheHoundBlog. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  6. ^ "Billy Wright: "You Satisfy" – Spontaneous Lunacy". Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "The 1950s Queer Black Performers Who Inspired Little Richard". The Wire. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  8. ^ Dahl, Bill. "Bill Wright: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c Marion, J. C. (2004). "Prince of the Blues: Billy Wright". Jamm Up. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  10. ^ a b White, Charles. (2003). The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Authorised Biography. Omnibus Press. P. 25.
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