Johnny O'Neal (singer)

Last updated

Johnny O'Neal was an American R&B singer best known as a member of Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm. He also sang with blues guitarist Earl Hooker. O'Neal used various pseudonyms such as Brother Bell, Burntface Brother, and Scarface Johnny. [1] As a solo artist he recorded for King Records and Sun Records in the 1950s. He also formed his own group called Johnny O'Neal and the Hound Dogs.

Contents

Career

Born Johnny O'Neal Johnson, he became the lead singer of Ike Turner's band the Kings of Rhythm. [1] Prior to the band recording "Rocket 88" (1951), O'Neal left the band to sign a solo contract with King Records. [2] In January 1951, he recorded his debut "War Bound Blues" / "Ruth Ann" in Cincinnati which was released in March. His next single "Friday Night Blues" / "Blues About Baby" was released later that year.

In January 1952, O'Neal collaborated with Turner to record for the Bihari brothers in Greenville, Mississippi. Backed by the members of kings of Rhythm which included Turner on piano and Raymond Hill on tenor saxophone, O'Neal recorded the sides "If You Feel Froggish" / "Whole Heap Of Mama" released on Saul Bihari's Blues & Rhythm label. [3] [1]

Around that time, Turner had disbanded the Kings of Rhythm for a while. He took O'Neal and his wife Bonnie Turner to work in Sarasota, Florida with Earl Hooker and Pinetop Perkins. After the gigs, O'Neal and Hooker decided to stay around Florida longer. They put together a band with Roosevelt Wardell (piano), Ed Wiley (saxophone), Robert Dixon (bass), and Will Cochran (drums). They played various hot spots, including the Palms' Club in Bradenton, the Drive In in Sarasota, the Manhattan, the Elks Club, and the Roseland in St. Petersburg. [1] On November 26, 1952, They recorded for King Records in Brandenton, Florida, resulting in the single "Johnny Feels The Blues" / "So Many Hard," released in 1953.

In August 1953, Turner brought O'Neal to Sun Studios in Memphis to record for Sam Phillips at Sun Records. Backed by Turner on guitar, James Wheeler (saxophone), Thomas Reed (saxophone), Willie "Bad Boy" Sims (drums), Turner's wife Bonnie Turner (piano), and Turner's nephew Jesse Knight (bass guitar), O'Neal recorded four sides: "Dead Letter Blues," "Nightmare (Johnny's Dream)," "Ugly Woman," and Peg Leg Baby." [4] These remained unissued for decades until they were released on various compilations.

O'Neal and Turner had some friction, so therefore, Turner married O'Neal's girlfriend Alice because he "didn't want to be locking heads with him." He figured if he married her, O'Neal "couldn't do nothing." [2] By 1954, Turner hired singer Billy Gayles and O'Neal left the band soon after. O'Neal later formed his own band, Johnny O'Neal and the Hound Dogs, which consisted of Earl Hooker, Pinetop Perkins, Willie Kizart, Willie "Bad Boy" Sims, and Johnny Floyd Smith. Singer Andrew Odom later joined his band. [1]

Discography

Singles

Album appearances

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ike Turner</span> American musician (1931–2007)

Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s with his wife Tina Turner as the leader of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun Records</span> American independent record label

Sun Records is an American independent record label founded by producer Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee on February 1, 1952. Sun was the first label to record Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash. Prior to that, Sun had concentrated mainly on African-American musicians because Phillips loved rhythm and blues and wanted to bring it to a white audience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kings of Rhythm</span> Band led by Ike Turner

Kings of Rhythm are an American music group formed in the late 1940s in Clarksdale, Mississippi and led by Ike Turner through to his death in 2007. Turner would retain the name of the band throughout his career, although the group has undergone considerable line-up changes over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinetop Perkins</span> American blues pianist

Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins was an American blues pianist. He played with some of the most influential blues and rock-and-roll performers of his time and received numerous honors, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and induction into the Blues Hall of Fame.

The Long Beach Blues Festival, in Long Beach, California, United States, was established fully in 1980, and was one of the largest blues festivals and was the second oldest on the West Coast. It was held on Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend. For many years it was held on the athletic field on the California State University, Long Beach campus. The 2009 festival, the 30th annual, was held at Rainbow Lagoon in downtown Long Beach. The Festival went on hiatus in 2010, and has not been held since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Brenston</span> American singer, saxophonist, and pioneer of rock and roll

Jackie Brenston was an American singer and saxophonist who, with Ike Turner's band, recorded the first version of the rock-and-roll song "Rocket 88" in 1951.

Charley Booker was an American blues singer and guitarist from the Mississippi Delta, who recorded in the early 1950s for Modern Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raymond Hill (musician)</span> Musical artist

Raymond Earl Hill was an American tenor saxophonist and singer, best known as a member of Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in the 1950s. He also recorded as a solo artist for Sun Records and worked as a session musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moanin' at Midnight</span> 1951 blues song by Howlin Wolf

"Moanin' at Midnight" is a blues song written and recorded by Howlin' Wolf in 1951. The recording was released on Chess Records as his debut single. It charted on Billboard's R&B chart, but the B-side, "How Many More Years," became the popular side of the record.

Boyd Gilmore was an American Delta blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. Among the songs he wrote were "All in My Dreams", "Believe I'll Settle Down", "I Love My Little Woman" and "If That's Your Girl". Gilmore also recorded a version of fellow Delta bluesman Robert Johnson's track, "Ramblin' on My Mind".

<i>The Sun Sessions</i> (Ike Turners Kings of Rhythm album) 2001 compilation album by Ike Turner & the Kings of Rhythm

The Sun Sessions is a collection of early recordings that musician Ike Turner and his band the Kings of Rhythm recorded from 1951–1958 for Sun Records. Many of the recordings were previously unissued until Charly Records released the album Sun: The Roots Of Rock: Volume 3: Delta Rhythm Kings in 1976. The tracks on The Sun Sessions were digitally remastered and released by Varèse Sarabande in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ike Turner discography</span>

This article contains information about albums and singles released by of American musician and bandleader Ike Turner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernest Lane (musician)</span> Musical artist

Ernest Ray Lane was an American blues pianist. He played various blues musicians and bands, including with Pinetop Perkins, Robert Nighthawk, Ike Turner, George "Harmonica" Smith, and Canned Heat. Lane also released singles and album as a solo artist.

Willie Kizart was an American electric blues guitarist best known for being a member of Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in the 1950s. Kizart played guitar on "Rocket 88" in 1951, which is considered by some accounts to be the first rock and roll record. The record is noted for featuring one of the first examples of distortion ever recorded; played by Kizart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Gayles</span> American drummer

Billy Gayles was an American rhythm & blues drummer and vocalist. Gayles was a member of Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in the 1950s with whom he recorded for Flair Records and Federal Records as the lead vocalist. Gayles also backed various musicians, including Earl Hooker, Robert Nighthawk, Otis Rush, Albert King, and Richard Arnold "Groove" Holmes.

Earl Forest was an American musician and a member of the Memphis-based R&B coalition called the Beale Streeters, which included Johnny Ace, Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, B.B. King, and Roscoe Gordon. Forest had a hit record in 1953 with "Whoopin' And Hollerin'" on Duke Records. He also recorded for Meteor Records and Flair Records.

Dennis Binder is an American rhythm and blues musician and singer, best known for his song "Long Man Blues". Binder began his careers in the 1950s, recording for prominent R&B labels, including Chess Records, Sun Records, and Modern Records. He was also recorded with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm.

Houston Boines was an American blues singer and harmonica player. Boines, accompanied by guitarist Charley Booker, was recruited by talent scout Ike Turner to record for Modern Records in 1952. He also recorded for Sun Records in 1953.

The Beale Streeters were a Memphis-based R&B coalition of musicians, which at times included John Alexander, Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, B.B. King, Earl Forest, Willie Nix, and Rosco Gordon. Initially, they were not a formal band, but they played at the same venues and backed each other during recording sessions.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Danchin, Sebastian (2010). Earl Hooker, Blues Master. Univ. Press of Mississippi. pp. 50–52, 97–98. ISBN   978-1-62846-841-0.
  2. 1 2 Turner, Ike (1999). Takin' Back My Name: The Confessions of Ike Turner. Cawthorne, Nigel. London: Virgin. ISBN   1852278501. OCLC   43321298.
  3. "1952 Sun Sessions 1". Sun Records - 706 Union Avenue Sessions (in Dutch).
  4. "1953 Sun Sessions 2". Sun Records - 706 Union Avenue Sessions (in Dutch).
  5. "Rhythm & Blues Record Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. June 9, 1951. p. 81.