Joe Liggins

Joe Liggins (July 9, 1915 – July 26, 1987)[1] was an American R&B, jazz and blues pianist, who was the frontman in the 1940s and 1950s with the band, Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers. He was older brother of R&B performer Jimmy Liggins.

His band was often a staple on the US Billboard R&B chart in those years, with their biggest hit being "The Honeydripper", released in 1945.[2] That single topped the R&B chart, then called the race chart, for 18 weeks. More than 60 years later, "The Honeydripper" remains tied with Louis Jordan's "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" for the longest-ever stay at the top of that chart. It logged a reported two million sales.[3]

Life

Liggins was born in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and moved to San Diego, California in 1932.[1] He moved to Los Angeles in 1939, where he played with Sammy Franklin's California Rhythm Rascals and other groups. When Franklin turned down a chance to record Liggins' song "The Honeydripper", Liggins decided to start his own band. The original Joe Liggins and His Honeydrippers recordings were issued on the Exclusive Records imprint of brothers Leon and Otis Rene. Joe Liggins' Honeydrippers was formed in the basement of the Los Angeles home of the saxophonist Little Willie Jackson, who co-founded the group and who, at the time of his death in 2000, was the last original surviving member of the Honeydrippers.

In March 1954, the band took part in a benefit show held at the Club 5-4 in Los Angeles for the wife of Stan Getz.

Joe signed with Specialty Records in 1950, where he gained more hits, including "Rag Mop", "Boom-Chick-A-Boogie", "Pink Champagne", and "Little Joe's Boogie".[1] His songs were mostly a blend of jump blues and basic R&B. With Roy Milton, he was an architect of the small-band jump blues of the first post-war decade.[3] Liggins often toured with such acts as Jimmy Witherspoon, Amos Milburn and the jump blues shouter H-Bomb Ferguson. His 1950 releases, "Pink Champagne" and "I've Got A Right To Cry," both sold over one million copies and were awarded gold discs.[4]

Although Liggins' success stopped in the late 1950s, he continued to perform until his death following a stroke, in Lynwood, California,[1] at the age of 72.

Members of "The Honeydrippers" band

guest session musicians:

Discography

Original 10" shellac (78rpm) and 7" vinyl (45rpm) releases

BRONZE release:

EXCLUSIVE releases:

MODERN releases:

DOT releases:

SPECIALTY releases:

MERCURY release:

ALADDIN release:

DUPLEX release:

Original 10" shellac (78rpm) 3-disc album set

includes the following 78rpm discs...

LP/CD releases/compilations of note

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Bill Dahl. "Joe Liggins - Biography - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  2. ↑ Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. p. 13. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
  3. 1 2 Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. p. 134. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
  4. ↑ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 51. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.

External links

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