Luther Randolph

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Luther Anthony Randolph ( May 7, 1935 - January 27, 2020 ) was an American musician ( organ ) who distinguished himself as a producer and songwriter in the Philadelphian music scene in the 1960s . According to the Philadelphia Inquirer , as a musician and producer, he helped shape the “Philly Soul Sound”.

Live and act

Randolph learned piano at the age of 12; he began his career as a pianist for the First Baptist Church of Morton and played rhythm & blues and jazz professionally at the age of 16 . Randolph's role model was the organist Jimmy Smith and began to occupy himself with the jazz organ in 1960. He then appeared on the Philadelphian music scene as a jazz organist in the mid-20th century. In the 1960s, he also worked as a music producer and (with Johnny Stiles and Weldon McDougal III ) co-owner of the Harton record label. With Johnny Stiles, Randolph presented the rhythm & blues single "Cross Roads" on the label in 1962, which was released in Europe on Cameo Parkway . "Cross Roads". It rose to # 1 on the Philadelphia R&B charts and enjoyed nationwide broadcasting.

Randolph then produced chart hits like “Yes I'm Ready” (1965) by Barbara Mason and “Hey There Lonely Girl” (1969) by Eddie Holman ; the song hit # 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. Randolph also performed Dee Dee Sharp titles . In the second half of the 1960s, the Harthon label released R&B and soul music by local vocal groups The Volcanos, The Intentions and Irma & The Larks . With Jimmy Bishop and Johnny Stiles he wrote the tracks "Strange Change" and "Happiest Girl In the World" (which Barbara Mason recorded). Randolph died of multiple strokes.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Bonnie L. Cook: Luther A. Randolph, jazz organist and producer whose hits helped shape the Philly soul sound, dies at 84. The Philadelpia Inquirer, February 5, 2020, accessed on February 6, 2020 (English).
  2. ↑ a b Obituary. Legacy.com, February 4, 2020, accessed January 4, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Randolph, Luther
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Randolph, Luther Anthony
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz and R&B musician and record producer
DATE OF BIRTH May 7, 1935
DATE OF DEATH January 27, 2020