Lloyd Price – Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts

Lloyd Price – Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts
Publicity photo of Lloyd Price. Image source: Unknown author, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lloyd Price Biography


LLoyd Price was an American singer-songwriter, record executive and bandleader, known as “Mr. Personality”, after his 1959 million-selling hit, “Personality“. His first recording, “Lawdy Miss Clawdy“, was a hit for Specialty Records in 1952. He continued to release records, but none were as popular until several years later, when he refined the New Orleans beat and achieved a series of national hits. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Price was born on March 9, 1933, in Kenner, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, and raised in Kenner.His mother, Beatrice Price, owned the Fish ‘n’ Fry Restaurant. Price picked up lifelong interests in business and food from her. He and his younger brother Leo were both musical.

He had formal training on trumpet and piano, sang in his church’s gospel choir, and was a member of a combo in high school.

Art Rupe, the owner of Specialty Records, based in Los Angeles, came to New Orleans in 1952 to record the distinctive style of rhythm and blues developing there, which had been highly successful for his competitor Imperial Records. Rupe heard Price’s song “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” and wanted to record it. Because Price did not have a band,Rupe hired Dave Bartholomew to create the arrangements and Bartholomew’s band (plus Fats Domino on piano) to back Price in the recording session. The song was a massive hit. His next release, “Oooh, Oooh, Oooh”, cut at the same session, was a much smaller hit. Price continued making recordings for Specialty, but none of them reached the charts at that time.

e eventually formed KRC Records with Harold Logan and Bill Boskent. Their first single, “Just Because”, was picked up for distribution by ABC Records. From 1957 to 1959, Price recorded a series of national hits for ABC that successfully adapted the New Orleans sound, including “Stagger Lee” (which topped the Pop and R&B charts and sold over a million copies), “Personality” (which reached number 2), and “I’m Gonna Get Married” (number 3).

In 1962, Price along with business partner, Harold Logan formed Double L Records. Wilson Pickett got his start on this label. Price and business partner Logan also formed a club together called Birdland in New York on 1674 Broadway in New York City. In 1969, Logan was murdered in the office connected to the club. Price then founded a new label, Turntable.

During the 1970s, Price helped the boxing promoter Don King promote fights, including the “Rumble in the Jungle” boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire and its accompanying concert which featured James Brown and B. B. King.He and Don King formed a record label, LPG, which issued Price’s last hit, “What Did You Do With My Love”, to limited success.

Price toured Europe in 1993 with Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Gary U.S. Bonds.He performed with soul legends Jerry Butler, Gene Chandler, and Ben E. King on the “Four Kings of Rhythm and Blues” tour in 2005; concerts were recorded for a DVD and a PBS television special.

Price appears in performance footage in the 2005 documentary film Make It Funky!, which presents a history of New Orleans music and its influence on rhythm and blues, rock and roll, funk and jazz. In the film, he performs “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” with Allen Toussaint and band.

On June 20, 2010, he appeared and sang in the season 1 finale of the HBO series Treme. As of 2018 he continued to sing.

In 2011, Price released his autobiography, The True King of the Fifties: The Lloyd Price Story, and worked on a Broadway musical, Lawdy Miss Clawdy, focused on his life and rise to stardom with a team that included the producer Phil Ramone.The musical also told how rock and roll evolved from the New Orleans music scene of the early 1950s.

Price and his wife resided in Westchester County, New York. He died from diabetes complications on May 3, 2021, at a long-term care facility in New Rochelle, New York, aged 88.

Lloyd Price Discography

Now!
Lloyd Swings for SammyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Misty
This Is My BandYouTubeAmazon
Sings the Million-Sellers
Cookin’
The Fantastic Lloyd PriceYouTubeAmazon
Mr. Personality Sings the BluesYouTubeAmazon
Mr. PersonalityYouTubeAmazon
The Exciting Lloyd PriceSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon

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Frequently Asked Questions

Lloyd Price?

was an American singer and musician who was one of the first R&B artists to crossover to the pop charts in the early 1950s. His 1952 hit “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” was a major influence on the development of rock and roll. His career was reborn in 1968 when his Staggerlee persona yielded the pop hit “Mule Train”.

What Genre Is Lloyd Price?

Lloyd Price is a singer and songwriter who was popular in the 1950s and 1960s. His music has been described as a mix of R&B, pop, and rock and roll. He is best known for his hits “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” and “St agger Lee.

When Did Lloyd Price Release Personality?

Lloyd Price’s “Personality” was released in 1952. The song was an instant hit, reaching the top of the R&B charts and becoming one of the most popular songs of the year. Price continued to have success with follow-up singles like “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” and “Ain’t That a Shame,” becoming one of the most successful R&B artists of the 1950s.

When Was The Lloyd Price Most Popular?

The Lloyd Price was most popular in the 1950s. He was a rock and roll and R&B singer and he had a string of hits in the 1950s. He is best known for his song “Lawdy Miss Clawdy.

What The Lloyd Price’S Biggest Hit Album?

The Lloyd Price’s biggest hit album is “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”. It was released in 1952 and reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart. It sold over a million copies and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Most Searched For Lloyd Price Songs

Personality SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Yakety-Yak Bing-Bang Spotify
Stagger Lee SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
I’m Gonna Get Married SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Come Into My Heart Spotify
WhySpotifyAppleYouTube
Lawdy Miss Clawdy SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Dinner for One SpotifyYouTube
The Chicken and the Bop Spotify
Never Let Me Go SpotifyAppleYouTube