Billy Wright (musician)

William "Billy" Wright (May 21, 1918 or 1932 – October 28, 1991) was an American jump blues singer. Wright is considered one of Little Richard's primary influences.

Billy Wright was born in Atlanta, Georgia. There is uncertainty over his year of birth. He claimed to have been born in 1932, but researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc state 1918, on the basis of official records and his newpaper obituary; other sources suggest 1928.

As a child, Wright excelled in at singing gospel music in his local church. In his youth, he worked as a dancer, and as a female impersonator, but developed as a singer when he began performing in Atlanta's 81 Theater. Saxophonist Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams caught Wright's act when the two shared a bill with Charles Brown and Wynonie Harris, and recommended him to Herman Lubinsky of Savoy Records.

His first record, "Blues for My Baby", recorded with Howard Collander's orchestra, rose to number 3 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1949. He had three more records on the R&B chart: "You Satisfy" (#9, 1949), "Stacked Deck" (#9, 1951), and "Heh, Little Girl" (#10, 1951). A flamboyant performer, he was known as the "Prince of the Blues" throughout his career. He was a key figure in Atlanta blues after World War II and had a major influence on rock and roll pioneer Little Richard, whom he helped get his first recording contract in 1951.

In 1954, Wright signed to Peacock Records owned by Don Robey in Houston, Texas. He made his last recordings in 1959, but primarily worked as an MC in Atlanta. He continued to do shows until he suffered a stroke, and then died of a pulmonary embolism, just before his 1991 Halloween Show at the Royal Peacock in Atlanta.

Singles

• "Blues For My Baby" / "You Satisfy" (Savoy #710) (11/1949)
• "Man’s Brand Boogie" / "Beg-A-Dog" (Atlanta #6000) (1950)
• "I Keep Drinkin'" / "Billy’s Boogie Blues" (Savoy #715) (1950)
• "Back Biting Woman" / "Thinkin' Blues" (Savoy #733) (1950)
• "After Dark Blues" / "Heavy Hearted Blues" (Savoy #741) (1951)
• "'Fore Day Blues" / "Empty Hands" (Savoy #761) (1951)
• "Mean Old Wine" / "Keep Your Hands On Your Heart" (Savoy #776) (11/1951)
• "Stacked Deck" / "Mercy Mercy" (Savoy #781) (1951)
• "Hey Little Girl" / "Gotta Find My Baby" (Savoy #810) (1951)
• "New Kind Of Lovin'" / "When The Wagon Comes" (Savoy #819) (1952)
• "Turn Your Lamps Down Low" / "Drinkin' And Thinkin'" (Savoy #827) (1952)
• "Married Woman’s Boogie" / "Every Evening" (Savoy #837) (1952)
• "If I Didn’t Love You" / "Goin' Down Slow" (Savoy #870) (12/1952)
• "After Awhile" / "Four Cold Cold Walls" (Savoy #1100) (5/1953)
• "Live The Life" / "I Remember" (Savoy #1127) (4/1954)
• "Bad Luck, Heartaches, And Trouble" / "The Question" (Peacock #1657) (7/1955)
• "Have Mercy Baby" / "I Love You Sweetheart" (Carrollton #801) (1959)

Other recordings

• "Walking the Blues" (Savoy) (unreleased) (9/23/1949)
• "Ride on Little Girl" (Savoy) (unreleased) (1/7/1950)
• "Misfortune Blues" (Savoy) (unreleased) (4/24/1950)
• "Restless Blues" (Savoy) (unreleased) (1951) (appears on Savoy LP-1146)
• "This Love of Mine" (Savoy) (unreleased) (1951) (appears on Savoy LP-1146)
• "If I Had My Life to Live Over" (Savoy) (unreleased) (1952) (appears on Savoy LP-1146)
• "Sad Hour Blues" (Savoy) (unreleased) (1952) (appears on Savoy LP-1146)
• "Do Something for Me" (1952) (live at Harlem Theater, Atlanta, Georgia) (appears on Stacked Deck album)
• "Keep Your Hand on Your Heart and Your Mind on Me" (Savoy) (1953) (appears on Savoy LP-2255)
• "Will You Need Me" (Savoy) (unreleased) (1954) (appears on Savoy LP-1146)
• "Baby Don't You Want a Man Like Me" (Peacock) (unreleased) (1955)
• "Let's Be Friends" (Peacock) (unreleased) (1955)
• Titles Unknown (Fury/Fire) (1959) (unreleased)

Albums

• Stacked Deck (Route 66) (1980)
• Goin Down Slow (Savoy #LP-1146) (1984)
• Various Artists: Southern Blues: Roots Of Rock And Roll Volume 11 (Savoy #LP-2255) (1985)
• Billy Wright/Little Richard: Baby Don’t You Want A Man Like Me (Ace #193) (1987)
• Billy Wright (Savoy Jazz) (1994)
• Classics 1949-1951 (Melodie Jazz Classics) (2003)
• Billy Wright (Savoy Jazz) (1994)
• Have Mercy Baby (Blue City #BCCD-810) (includes his Peacock, Carrollton, and Atlanta recordings)