MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Earlier than Little Richard, there was Lloyd Price, a pioneer of rock ‘n’ roll.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “PERSONALITY”)

LLOYD PRICE: (Singing) ‘Trigger you’ve got received – stroll – speak – smile…

KELLY: Singer Lloyd Price died in New Rochelle, N.Y., final week. He was 88. NPR’s Mandalit del Barco reviews.

MANDALIT DEL BARCO, BYLINE: His nickname was Mr. Persona, a tenor who owned his personal music, was his personal agent and supervisor and extra at a time when such independence was extraordinarily uncommon, particularly for a younger Black man. When he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame in 1993, Price talked about rising up in Kenner, La., considered one of 11 kids. As a teen, he listened to a Black radio deejay named Okey Dokey Smith.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRICE: He would come on – Lawdy Miss Clawdy, eat your mom’s do-it-yourself pie.

DEL BARCO: Price mentioned he was noodling round with that catch phrase on the piano at his mom’s sandwich store when a New Orleans large band chief stopped by.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRICE: He mentioned, you recognize what? There is a report producer – a man owns a report firm – from California coming in to New Orleans. They’re in search of younger expertise to report.

DEL BARCO: So in 1952, when he was 17, Price recorded his tune for $50. The report firm added Fat Domino on boogie-woogie piano.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “LAWDY MISS CLAWDY”)

PRICE: (Singing) Effectively now lawdy, lawdy, lawdy, Miss Clawdy. Woman, you certain look good to me. Effectively, please do not excite me child. No, it could’t be me.

DEL BARCO: “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” was successful on the R&B charts in 1952 and was carried out by Little Richard, Elvis Presley and others. The tune attracted Black and white audiences. Price advised CUNY TV host Michael Stoller in 2012 that crossover did not sit so nicely within the Jim Crow South.

(SOUNDBITE OF CUNY TV BROADCAST)

PRICE: The draft board known as me in and mentioned that the chairman of the Armed Service (ph) Committee mentioned I needed to go within the military. I needed to go within the army. And it was due to my music. I used to be integrating the South. In order that they took me on within the military and thought that that’d knocked me off, I suppose. However I managed to outlive that.

DEL BARCO: When he returned from Korea, Price started recording once more, together with the hit tune “Stagger Lee” a couple of barroom capturing.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “STAGGER LEE”)

PRICE: (Singing) Stagger Lee shot Billy. Oh, he shot that poor boy so unhealthy until the bullet got here by means of Billy, and it broke the bar tender’s glass. Look out, snake (ph). Come on.

DEL BARCO: Within the 1960s, Price began his personal music labels and owned a New York nightclub. And later, he co-promoted prizefights for Muhammad Ali.

Mandalit del Barco, NPR Information.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “LAWDY MISS CLAWDY”)

PRICE: (Singing) Effectively now lawdy, lawdy, lawdy Miss Clawdy…

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