Luther Randolph
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
- Luther Randolph at Allmusic (English)
- Luther Randolph at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ a b Obituary. Legacy.com, February 4, 2020, accessed January 4, 2020 .
personal data | |
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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 |