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{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Sonny Knight
| image =
| name = Sonny Knight
| caption =
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| background = solo_singer
| image_size =
| birth_name = Joseph Coleman Smith
| birth_name = Joseph Coleman Smith
| alias = Joe Smith<br>Joseph C. Smith
| alias = Joe Smith<br>Joseph C. Smith
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|5|17|mf=y}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|5|17|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Maywood, Illinois]]
| birth_place = [[Maywood, Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1998|9|5|1934|5|17}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1998|9|5|1934|5|17}}
|death_place = [[Maui]], [[Hawaii]]
| death_place = [[Maui]], Hawaii, U.S.
| origin =
| origin =
| instrument =
| instrument =
| genre = [[pop music|Pop]], [[rhythm and blues]]
| genre = Pop, [[rhythm and blues]]
| occupation = [[Singer]], songwriter, pianist, author
| occupation = Singer, songwriter, pianist, author
| years_active = c.1954–1990s
| years_active = 1954–1997
| label = [[Aladdin Records|Aladdin]], [[Specialty Records|Specialty]], Vita, [[Dot Records|Dot]], Aura, Original Sound, Fifo, [[World Pacific Records|World Pacific]]
| label = [[Aladdin Records|Aladdin]], [[Specialty Records|Specialty]], Vita, [[Dot Records|Dot]], Aura, [[Original Sound]], Fifo, [[World Pacific Records|World Pacific]]
| associated_acts =
| associated_acts =
| website =
| website =
| current_members =
| current_members =
| past_members =
| past_members =
| notable_instruments =
}}
}}
'''Joseph Coleman Smith''' (17 May 1934 &ndash; 5 September 1998), who performed and recorded under the name '''Sonny Knight''', was an [[African-American]] singer, songwriter and author. His biggest hit was "Confidential", which reached the pop and R&B charts in 1956, and he continued to record into the 1960s. In 1981, using his real name, he wrote ''The Day the Music Died'', a fictionalised account of racism in the American [[music business]] in the 1950s.
'''Joseph Coleman Smith''' (May 17, 1934 – September 5, 1998), who performed and recorded under the name '''Sonny Knight''', was an American singer, songwriter and author. His biggest hit was "Confidential", which reached the pop and [[R&B]] charts in 1956, and he continued to record into the 1960s. In 1981, using his real name, he wrote ''The Day the Music Died'', a fictionalised account of racism in the American [[music business]] in the 1950s.


==Biography==
==Biography==
He was born in [[Maywood, Illinois]], and moved to [[Los Angeles]] with his family in the early 1950s. He enrolled at [[Los Angeles State College]] intending to pursue an academic career, but became interested in the music business and, according to one source, visited the Mesner brothers at [[Aladdin Records]] to sell them a song, "Vicious, Vicious Vodka", that he had written for his idol, [[Amos Milburn]];<ref name=blackcat>[http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/sonny_knight.htm Biography by Dik de Heer at Black Cat Rockabilly]. Retrieved 20 April 2013</ref> Milburn recorded the song in 1954.<ref name=talevski>[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=DykffzkFALoC&pg=PA344&dq=%22sonny+knight%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=x7FyUci0M-jP0AW6k4DYBw&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22sonny%20knight%22&f=false Nick Talevski, ''Rock Obituaries - Knocking On Heaven's Door'', Omnibus Press, 2010, p.344]</ref> Another source suggests that Smith actively sought a recording contract himself, at the behest of a girlfriend.<ref name=allmusic>[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sonny-knight-mn0000037252 Biography by Rovi at Allmusic.com]. Retrieved 20 April 2013</ref> In any event, Aladdin offered him a recording contract, and, using the pseudonym Sonny Knight that he invented himself, released two singles on the label, including "But, Officer," later recorded by [[Steve Allen]]. The records were unsuccessful, and he recorded as '''Joe Smith''' for the Cal-West label before signing for [[Specialty Records]].<ref name=blackcat/>
He was born in [[Maywood, Illinois]], and moved to Los Angeles with his family in the early 1950s. He enrolled at [[Los Angeles State College]] intending to pursue an academic career, but became interested in the music business and, according to one source, visited the Mesner brothers at [[Aladdin Records]] to sell them a song, "Vicious, Vicious Vodka", that he had written for his idol, [[Amos Milburn]];<ref name=blackcat>[http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/sonny_knight.htm Biography by Dik de Heer at Black Cat Rockabilly]. Retrieved April 20, 2013</ref> Milburn recorded the song in 1954.<ref name=talevski>[https://books.google.com/books?id=DykffzkFALoC&dq=%22sonny+knight%22&pg=PA344 Nick Talevski, ''Rock Obituaries – Knocking On Heaven's Door'', Omnibus Press, 2010, p.344]</ref> Another source suggests that Smith actively sought a recording contract himself, at the behest of a girlfriend.<ref name=allmusic>[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sonny-knight-mn0000037252 Biography by Rovi at Allmusic.com]. Retrieved April 20, 2013</ref> In any event, Aladdin offered him a recording contract, and, using the pseudonym Sonny Knight that he invented himself, released two singles on the label, including "But, Officer," later recorded by [[Steve Allen]]. The records were unsuccessful, and he recorded as '''Joe Smith''' for the Cal-West label before signing for [[Specialty Records]].<ref name=blackcat/>


After a couple more unsuccessful singles, recorded again as Sonny Knight, producer [[Robert "Bumps" Blackwell]] partnered him with songwriter [[Dorinda Morgan]]. She wrote the ballad "Confidential", which he recorded for the small Vita [[record label]] in [[Pasadena, California|Pasadena]]. Although the record label states that it was recorded with the Jack Collier Orchestra, in fact it was made with the [[Ernie Freeman]] Combo, which also included guitarist [[Irving Ashby]] and saxophonist [[Plas Johnson]].<ref name=blackcat/> Originally the [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] of "Jail Bird", the record was flipped by radio DJs.<ref name=marcus>[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=B6ldXzRRAQ4C&pg=PA101&dq=%22sonny+knight%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=x7FyUci0M-jP0AW6k4DYBw&ved=0CFsQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=%22sonny%20knight%22&f=false Greil Marcus, ''Dead Elvis: a chronicle of a cultural obsession'', Harvard University Press, 1999, pp.100-103]</ref> After initial local success, the record was licenced to the larger [[Dot Records|Dot]] label, and rose to no. 17 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot 100|pop chart]], and no. 8 on the [[R&B chart]] at the end of 1956.<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=253}}</ref>
After a couple more unsuccessful singles, recorded again as Sonny Knight, producer [[Robert "Bumps" Blackwell]] partnered him with songwriter [[Dorinda Morgan]]. She wrote the ballad "Confidential", which he recorded for the small Vita record label in [[Pasadena, California|Pasadena]]. Although the record label states that it was recorded with the Jack Collier Orchestra, in fact it was made with the [[Ernie Freeman]] Combo, which also included guitarist [[Irving Ashby]] and saxophonist [[Plas Johnson]].<ref name=blackcat/> Originally the [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] of "Jail Bird", the record was flipped by radio DJs.<ref name=marcus>[https://archive.org/details/deadelvis00grei/page/101 <!-- quote="sonny knight". --> Greil Marcus, ''Dead Elvis: a chronicle of a cultural obsession'', Harvard University Press, 1999, pp.100–103]</ref> After initial local success, the record was licensed to the larger [[Dot Records|Dot]] label, and rose to no. 17 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot 100|pop chart]], and no. 8 on the [[R&B chart]] at the end of 1956.<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=253}}</ref>


Knight was unable to follow it up, although he continued to record for Dot where his releases were produced by [[Lee Hazlewood]]. He also worked as a [[session musician|session pianist]] in Los Angeles, on records by [[Sandy Nelson]] and others, and recorded for small labels including Original Sound, Fifo, and [[World Pacific Records|World Pacific]].<ref name=blackcat/><ref name=45cat>[http://www.45cat.com/artist/sonny-knight/us Sonny Knight at 45cat.com]. Retrieved 20 April 2013</ref><ref name=discogs>[http://www.discogs.com/artist/Sonny+Knight Sonny Knight at Discogs.com]. Retrieved 20 April 2013</ref> In the early 1960s he recorded for the [[Aura Records|Aura]] label, and in 1964 his song "If You Want This Love" reached no.71 on the pop chart; its follow-up "Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow" reached no.100.<ref>{{cite book|first=Joel|last=Whitburn|year=2003|title=Top Pop Singles 1955-2002|edition= 1st|publisher=Record Research Inc.|location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin|isbn= 0-89820-155-1|page=390}}</ref> He gave up his recording career in the mid 1960s,<ref name=allmusic/> moving in the 1970s to live in [[Hawaii]], where he continued to sing in [[nightclub]]s.<ref name=talevski/>
Knight was unable to follow it up successfully, although he continued to record for Dot. He also worked as a [[session musician|session pianist]] in Los Angeles, on records by [[Sandy Nelson]] and others, and recorded for small labels including [[Original Sound]], Fifo, and [[World Pacific Records|World Pacific]].<ref name=blackcat/><ref name=45cat>[http://www.45cat.com/artist/sonny-knight/us Sonny Knight at 45cat.com]. Retrieved April 20, 2013</ref><ref name=discogs>[http://www.discogs.com/artist/Sonny+Knight Sonny Knight at Discogs.com]. Retrieved April 20, 2013</ref> In the early 1960s he recorded for the [[Aura Records|Aura]] label, and in 1964 his song "If You Want This Love" reached no.71 on the pop chart; its follow-up "Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow" reached no.100.<ref>{{cite book|first=Joel|last=Whitburn|year=2003|title=Top Pop Singles 1955–2002|edition=1st|publisher=Record Research Inc.|location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin|isbn=0-89820-155-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/390 390]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/390}}</ref> He gave up his recording career in the mid 1960s,<ref name=allmusic/> moving in the 1970s to live in Hawaii, where he continued to sing in [[nightclub]]s.<ref name=talevski/>


In 1981, credited as Joseph C. Smith, his novel ''The Day the Music Died'' was published by [[Grove Press]].<ref name=blackcat/><ref>[http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_day_the_music_died.html?id=UiixAAAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y Google Books, ''The Day the Music Died'']</ref> It was based on his own experiences in the music business in the 1950s, and received generally good reviews, remaining in print for over 25 years.<ref name=blackcat/> Rock critic [[Greil Marcus]], in his book ''[[Dead Elvis (book)|Dead Elvis]]'', wrote that:<ref name=marcus/><blockquote>"[it is] the bitterest book ever written about how rock'n'roll came to be and what it turned into; its theme is racism....[W]hat really interests Smith is how a rich version of American black culture is transformed into a horrible, enormously profitable white parody of itself: as white labels sign black artists only to ensure their oblivion and keep those blacks they can't control penned up in the ghetto of the black charts; as white America, faced with something good, responds with a poison that will ultimately ruin even honest men... There is no question that much of what Smith describes took place.... But.. driven by its bitterness, Smith's story runs away from itself..."</blockquote>
In 1981, credited as Joseph C. Smith, his novel ''The Day the Music Died'' was published by [[Grove Press]].<ref name=blackcat/><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=UiixAAAAIAAJ Google Books, ''The Day the Music Died'']</ref> It was based on his own experiences in the music business in the 1950s, and received generally good reviews, remaining in print for over 25 years.<ref name=blackcat/> Rock critic [[Greil Marcus]], in his book ''[[Dead Elvis (book)|Dead Elvis]]'', wrote that:<ref name=marcus/><blockquote>"[it is] the bitterest book ever written about how rock'n'roll came to be and what it turned into; its theme is racism....[W]hat really interests Smith is how a rich version of American black culture is transformed into a horrible, enormously profitable white parody of itself: as white labels sign black artists only to ensure their oblivion and keep those blacks they can't control penned up in the ghetto of the black charts; as white America, faced with something good, responds with a poison that will ultimately ruin even honest men... There is no question that much of what Smith describes took place.... But.. driven by its bitterness, Smith's story runs away from itself..."</blockquote>


Knight died in Hawaii in 1998 at the age of 64, following a stroke two years earlier.<ref name=talevski/>
Knight died in Hawaii in 1998 at the age of 64, following a stroke two years earlier.<ref name=talevski/>
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{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
{{Persondata
* [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BLpnihc8vgs 'Confidential' – Sonny Knight hit single from 1956 (YouTube)]
| NAME = Knight, Sonny

| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
{{Authority control}}
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American musician

| DATE OF BIRTH = 17 May 1934
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Maywood, Illinois]]
| DATE OF DEATH = 5 September 1998
| PLACE OF DEATH = [[Maui]], [[Hawaii]]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Sonny}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Sonny}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
⚫
[[Category:African-American musicians]]
[[Category:American rhythm and blues musicians]]
[[Category:American rhythm and blues musicians]]
[[Category:People from Maywood, Illinois]]
[[Category:People from Maywood, Illinois]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
[[Category:Original Sound artists]]
⚫
[[Category:20th-century African-American musicians]]

Latest revision as of 00:43, 8 May 2023

Sonny Knight
Birth nameJoseph Coleman Smith
Also known asJoe Smith
Joseph C. Smith
Born(1934-05-17)May 17, 1934
Maywood, Illinois, U.S.
DiedSeptember 5, 1998(1998-09-05) (aged 64)
Maui, Hawaii, U.S.
GenresPop, rhythm and blues
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, pianist, author
Years active1954–1997
LabelsAladdin, Specialty, Vita, Dot, Aura, Original Sound, Fifo, World Pacific

Joseph Coleman Smith (May 17, 1934 – September 5, 1998), who performed and recorded under the name Sonny Knight, was an American singer, songwriter and author. His biggest hit was "Confidential", which reached the pop and R&B charts in 1956, and he continued to record into the 1960s. In 1981, using his real name, he wrote The Day the Music Died, a fictionalised account of racism in the American music business in the 1950s.

Biography[edit]

He was born in Maywood, Illinois, and moved to Los Angeles with his family in the early 1950s. He enrolled at Los Angeles State College intending to pursue an academic career, but became interested in the music business and, according to one source, visited the Mesner brothers at Aladdin Records to sell them a song, "Vicious, Vicious Vodka", that he had written for his idol, Amos Milburn;[1] Milburn recorded the song in 1954.[2] Another source suggests that Smith actively sought a recording contract himself, at the behest of a girlfriend.[3] In any event, Aladdin offered him a recording contract, and, using the pseudonym Sonny Knight that he invented himself, released two singles on the label, including "But, Officer," later recorded by Steve Allen. The records were unsuccessful, and he recorded as Joe Smith for the Cal-West label before signing for Specialty Records.[1]

After a couple more unsuccessful singles, recorded again as Sonny Knight, producer Robert "Bumps" Blackwell partnered him with songwriter Dorinda Morgan. She wrote the ballad "Confidential", which he recorded for the small Vita record label in Pasadena. Although the record label states that it was recorded with the Jack Collier Orchestra, in fact it was made with the Ernie Freeman Combo, which also included guitarist Irving Ashby and saxophonist Plas Johnson.[1] Originally the B-side of "Jail Bird", the record was flipped by radio DJs.[4] After initial local success, the record was licensed to the larger Dot label, and rose to no. 17 on the Billboard pop chart, and no. 8 on the R&B chart at the end of 1956.[5]

Knight was unable to follow it up successfully, although he continued to record for Dot. He also worked as a session pianist in Los Angeles, on records by Sandy Nelson and others, and recorded for small labels including Original Sound, Fifo, and World Pacific.[1][6][7] In the early 1960s he recorded for the Aura label, and in 1964 his song "If You Want This Love" reached no.71 on the pop chart; its follow-up "Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow" reached no.100.[8] He gave up his recording career in the mid 1960s,[3] moving in the 1970s to live in Hawaii, where he continued to sing in nightclubs.[2]

In 1981, credited as Joseph C. Smith, his novel The Day the Music Died was published by Grove Press.[1][9] It was based on his own experiences in the music business in the 1950s, and received generally good reviews, remaining in print for over 25 years.[1] Rock critic Greil Marcus, in his book Dead Elvis, wrote that:[4]

"[it is] the bitterest book ever written about how rock'n'roll came to be and what it turned into; its theme is racism....[W]hat really interests Smith is how a rich version of American black culture is transformed into a horrible, enormously profitable white parody of itself: as white labels sign black artists only to ensure their oblivion and keep those blacks they can't control penned up in the ghetto of the black charts; as white America, faced with something good, responds with a poison that will ultimately ruin even honest men... There is no question that much of what Smith describes took place.... But.. driven by its bitterness, Smith's story runs away from itself..."

Knight died in Hawaii in 1998 at the age of 64, following a stroke two years earlier.[2]

A compilation CD of Sonny Knight's recordings, Confidential, was issued by Pacific Records in about 2001.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Biography by Dik de Heer at Black Cat Rockabilly. Retrieved April 20, 2013
  2. ^ a b c Nick Talevski, Rock Obituaries – Knocking On Heaven's Door, Omnibus Press, 2010, p.344
  3. ^ a b Biography by Rovi at Allmusic.com. Retrieved April 20, 2013
  4. ^ a b Greil Marcus, Dead Elvis: a chronicle of a cultural obsession, Harvard University Press, 1999, pp.100–103
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–1995. Record Research. p. 253.
  6. ^ Sonny Knight at 45cat.com. Retrieved April 20, 2013
  7. ^ Sonny Knight at Discogs.com. Retrieved April 20, 2013
  8. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955–2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 390. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
  9. ^ Google Books, The Day the Music Died

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sonny_Knight&oldid=1153731579"