Tommy Ridgley
Tommy Ridgley (born October 30, 1925 as Thomas Herman Ridgley , † August 11, 1999 ) was an American R&B singer and band leader in New Orleans . His musical career spanned half a century.
biography
Ridgley's debut single Shrewsbury Blues was released on Imperial Records in 1949 , recorded with Dave Bartholomew's band. The success of the play gave him the nickname "Shrewsbury Kid". In the 1950s he made recordings for Decca , Atlantic and Herald Records . His 1952 Decca track Tra-La-La was later a hit for Pat Boone . In 1957 he founded his band "The Untouchables", with which he accompanied the likes of Little Richard , Solomon Burke , Ray Charles and Sam Cooke and appeared as the opening act for James Brown .
In the decades that followed, there were fewer recordings at smaller local record labels. Live, however, Ridgley remained present; from 1972 until his death he performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival every year .
In the 1990s, Ridgley released three new albums. On his last album Since The Blues Began , released in 1995 on Black Top Records , Snooks Eaglin was one of his guest musicians.
Tommy Ridgley died of lung cancer in 1999. The singer Sammy Ridgley is his younger brother.
Discography
- 1990: How Long? (Sound of New Orleans)
- 1992: She Turns Me On (Modern Blues Recordings)
- 1995: Since The Blues Began (Black Top)
Compilations
- 1988: The New Orleans King of the Stroll (Rounder)
- 1992: The Herald Recordings (Collectables)
- 2006: Tommy Ridgley 1949-1954 (Classics)
- Mardi Gras Jam / Tommy Ridgley & His Orchestra (Blue City)
- Through The Years (Sound of New Orleans)
Web links
- The Official Tommy Ridgley website (English)
- Tommy Ridgley at Allmusic (English)
- Tommy Ridgley at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d biography on "The Official Tommy Ridgley Website" , see web links
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Ridgley, Tommy |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ridgley, Thomas Herman (real name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | African American R&B singer and band leader |
DATE OF BIRTH | October 30, 1925 |
DATE OF DEATH | August 11, 1999 |