Obscure American Artists 1956-1963, Pop 20

 

Freddie Houston. R&B and Soul singer. Born 1938; Winston Salem, North Carolina - died 2014. Freddie typified NYC soul of the early 60s and is best known for his big beat ballads. Between 1961 and 1964 he recorded seven singles: two for Carlton, one for Toto, one for Captain and two for Old Town. Two of these singles entered Cash Box Looking Ahead chart (see NL12). He was also a very popular artist on the Popcorn scene with his Carlton and Captain releases. In the late 1950s he recorded two singles for End, as Johnny Eager (see R18).

India White. Obscure R&B singer. One single in 1958 for Juanita (obscure small label, loc?).

Mel Bocci. Obscure Pop singer. One single in 1959 for Manhattan Records (label from Cleveland, Ohio), with Kathy and Charlene (unidentified girl duo). Bocci composed both tracks. In 1959 he recorded one single as Dick Melari (see P10).

Tiny Topsy. Real Name: Otha Lee Moore Hall (1930 – 1964). R&B singer from Chicago. Tiny's first recording session was held in Cincinnati on July 9, 1957 and resulted in the bouncy "Aw! Shucks Baby" (Federal 12302), with a great tenor solo by Ray Felder. The label credit reads "Tiny Topsy With The Five Chances". The flip was a cover of "Miss You So", a Top 10 R&B hit for Lillian Offitt (Excello 2104, also # 66 pop). A third track from this session, "A Woman's Intuition", remained unissued until 1988. Her next two singles - both solid rockers - "Come On, Come On, Come On" (Federal 12309) and "You Shocked Me" (Federal 12315) both saw a UK release on the Parlophone label.
Tiny Topsy's fourth Federal single is a very interesting one. Written by the aforementioned Bernice Williams, it is called "Western Rock 'n' Roll" and incorporates snippets of then-current hits (Lollipop, At the Hop, Get a Job, Short Shorts). It opens with gunshots and probably for that reason, Dave Penny (yes, the same one) calls it a "Western Movies pastiche" in his 1988 liner notes for the LP "Aw! Shucks Baby". However, the recording date of "Western Rock 'n' Roll" (March 19, 1958) predates the release date of the Olympics hit by some three months. So it looks like the sound effects on "Western Movies" were inspired by "Western Rock 'n' Roll" instead of the other way round.
Tiny Topsy certainly was a trendsetter, because her next single (and her last one for Federal) was the original of what has become a classic : "Just A Little Bit". Rosco Gordon had a # 2 R&B hit with his version in 1960 and the song has been covered by countless people, including Jerry Lee Lewis on his "Southern Roots" album.
After leaving Federal, Tiny had only one further single released, "Working On Me Baby", coupled with "How You Changed" (Argo 5383). In the UK, "How You Changed" was retitled "After Marriage Blues" (Pye International N 25104).
"Aw! Shucks Baby" was re-released by King in 1963, not long before her untimely death at the age of only 34. She never scored a hit, but her small legacy is thoroughly enjoyable.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/129807139/otha-lee-hall

Zabethe Wilde. Real Name: Elizabeth Dickerson. Ex-shake dancer China Doll Dickerson who changed her name to Zabeth Wild when she became a singer. She recorded four songs for Capitol Records in 1961. She starred in well-known musical in Chicago in 1961 "Kicks and Co." with Burgess Meredith.

https://www.discogs.com/artist/3003623-Zabethe-Wilde

Obscure American Artists 1956-1963, Pop 19

 

Bobby Dunn. Soul, R&B songwriter and singer Robert Lee Dunn active in New York, NY. Member (2nd left) of

The Empires aka The Prestos

(several singles between 1954 -1957).

Four solo singles between 1958 – 1963, for different labels, self-penned in majority.

One conceptual (all-twist) album in 1962 with Les Cooper & His Twisters.

A couple of singles in the late 1960s.

Richi Wallace. Pop/R&B singer/songwriter. In 1963/1964, at the age of 23, recorded two singles for Federal - all four songs co-written with

Ü Johnny Otis

who presumably produced both records.

Al Smith. Bassist, songwriter and producer from Chicago. He started his career in the mid-1940s. Worked with Jimmy Reed, ran his own label Blues On Blues and produced many records for Bluesway.

In 1954/1956 recorded two singles for Vee Jay, credited to Al Smith Combo.

More singles in the late 1950s for Falcon and Abner (Chicago labels).

Al Smith Orchestra also recorded several singles as the accompanying band (The Falcons, Larry Birdsong, Little Junior Parker and others).

A couple of other artist active 1956-1963 used this name.

Johnny Wells. Pop vocalist (resemblance to Perry Como). He recorded two singles in 1959/1960 for Astor (label from Lodi, New Jersey) with Orchestra conducted by Siravo, the first (1959) single (Lonely Moon) entered Cash Box Looking Ahead chart (see NL26). This is the same guy who was Johnny Kay of budget label fame (many Christmas, Hymn and Italian albums).

Obscure American Artists 1956-1963, Pop 18

 

Dave Day aka Davey Day(e) aka Sonny Daye. Born David Vladimir Fatalsky. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area recording artist was a multi-talented performer. An excellent guitarist with « varied musical tastes. In April 1956, Dave, along with The Red Coats (The Comets), cut two sides for the Kapp label, Calpyso Rock /  Blue. The record received very little air play and virtually went unnoticed. Joe Averbach, also the Kapp distributor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as well as operator of the Fee Bee label was approached by Dave with some original material that he and his partner Tony Ray had written. Shortly thereafter, Dave inked a Fee Bee recording contract. His biggest hit on Fee Bee was Blue Moon Baby, a rocker with an oriental touch, was released in the spring of 1957 and shortly leased to Mercury. One other side of Dave Day’s varied musical tastes was that he also recorded polka music. His most popular ethnic recording was South Side Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, released on Epic in 1965, credited to Davey Daye. He also recorded as Sonny Day (see P04).
https://thatsallritemama.blogspot.com/2011/07/sonny-dave-daye-muffins-on-ring-o.html

Buddy Landon. Obscure pop singer. One record in 1959 for Donna (label from Hollywood, CA).

Buck Rogers. Swamp pop, R&B artist, the stage name for Lawrence Maxine Rodriguez. Two singles for Montel (label from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, owned by Sam Montel). in 1959/1960, the first single as Buck Rogers & His Jets.

Don Rogers. RR& artist based in Seattle, Washington. One single in 1959 for ASI (label affiliated with Don Rogers), A-side credited to Don Rogers, Ann Tanner & The Extroverts, B-side credited to Don Rogers & The Extroverts.

Jimmy Wallace. Soul and R&B singer/songwriter. Two singles in 1961/1962 for on-El Records (R&B soul label from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, owned by Donald White). In 1964-1966 Jimmy Wallace recorded for Alpha (another Philadelphia label).

Don Durant. Born Donald Allison Durae in 1932, died in 2005. Actor and singer, best known for his role, as the sherrif, in the CBS western series, Johnny Ringo. Recorded two singles for Fábor (1958) and RCA Victor (1960).

The Soul-Mates. Soul duo, an early incarnation of Brenda Holloway and Robert Jackson. One single in 1963 for Era, both track composed by Hal Davis, Robert D. Jackson.

Obscure American Artists 1956-1963, Pop 17

 

Rosemary (King). Obscure R&B and Pop vocalist. In 1960 she recorded one single for Robbee (label founded in 1960 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). Rosemary King was possibly the wife (or a close relative) of Chicago guitarist Bobby King who played second guitar on some of Freddy King's Federal sides. In 1962 she recorded two singles for Federal. All four tracks come from a Nov 21 1961 Bobby King session in Cincinnati with Sonny Thompson which included Bobby King's ‘Thank You Mr. Postman’. Two tracks from the session were issued as by Bobby & Rosemary.
https://www.45cat.com/record/4512447

Eddie Williams. Obscure R&B singer -  one single in 1959 for Todd (label from New York City). Several other artist active in the 1950/1960s used this name. Presumably the same artist (45cat) recorded one single in 1960 for Roulette, with Joe Reisman's Orchestra & Chorus.

Chuck Wright. Soul performer, songwriter. Three singles in 1962/1963, two more in 1964, all for Ember.

Jerry Thomas. R&B and Rock singer, raised and graduated high school in Jacksonville, Florida. He sang in the church choir and local singing groups. Has been on his own since moving to New York (1960). In 1960/1961 Jerry recorded two singles for Orchid Records (label from Bronx, New York). Several other artist active in the 1950/1960s used this name.

Cathy Ryan. Born: circa 1928 in Belfast, Ireland. Died: 2009 in San Diego. Pop vocalist who moved to the US in the late 1940s. In the early 1950s, she sang on the East Coast, in the lounges of New York and New Jersey, where she was spotted by Art Mooney's manager. She sang with Mooney in 1952–1953 before signing with MGM Records as a solo artist.
In the mid-50s she recorded for King Records, with Lucky Millinder and The Admirals. Milt Stavin was her personal manager at the time.
In the mid-50s, Ryan married Las Vegas saxophonist Rod Cradit. In the mid-1960s, they were performing with a revue called "Cathy Ryan and the Gents." The group continued to perform at least until 1970. Together they also formed a group called The Cradit Union which toured mostly on the West Coast, at least until the early 1990s.
https://www.discogs.com/artist/2151810-Cathy-Ryan

Stevie Temple Jr. Mysterious artist, presumably pseudonym of

Jeff Barry

who composed and produced both (novelty style) tracks of Steve Temple only single released in 1961 for Dot.

 

 

Obscure American Artists 1956-1963, Pop 16

 

Bill Kope. R&B singer. Two singles in the late 1950s. One for Kudo Recording (R&B label from Detroit), credited to Billy Kope & The Quardells. The second for Harvard (obscure label, distributed by United Telefilm Inc).

Wally Pate. One single in 1959 in world-folk style, recorded with Fred Norman & His Orchestra for Carlton (label founded by former RCA Victor A&R executive Joe Carlton).

Saxie Russell. Real Name: Vernon Taplin. R&B and Soul artist. One single in 1963 for Ran-Dee (label from Chicago).

Johnny Parker & The Zirkons. One R&B single in 1962 for CT Records (label from New York City). Johnny Parker was sax player.

Melvin Smith. R & B singer, born Atlanta, Georgia, 1936. Smith first recorded for RCA Victor in 1952, with further sessions for the same company in 1953-1954, with later records following for smaller labels – three singles with The Night (Nite) Riders.

He also recorded with Big John Greer, and Blow Top Lynn.

https://www.discogs.com/artist/685136-Melvin-Smith

The Nite Riders were: James "Doc" Starkes: bass /trombone; Melvin Smith: vocals / baritone saxophone; Harry Van Walls: piano; Harry Crafton: guitar / vocals; Joe Sewell: tenor saxophone; Jimmy Johnson: drums.

Buddy Skipper. R&B singer, songwriter from Raleigh, NC. In the early 1960s released some 7"s on New York labels (Fling; Fury Records).