Song:Hey Bartender
Album:Hey Bartender!: His Very Best 1949-1959
Though it wasn't his biggest hit, Hey Bartender is Floyd Dixon's best known song because The Blues Brothers covered it in 1978. Dixon had a few R&B hits of his own in the early 50s and then he was rediscovered late in life. He was born Feb. 8, 1929 in Marshall, TX. His family moved to Los Angeles in 1942. Dixon studied hotel management and played football. But he learned to play piano as a child and he started performing in local clubs. He dubbed himself Mr. Magnificent. After winning an amateur contest, Johnny Otis produced a single. Then he became friends with the great singer Charles Brown. After releasing a couple of singles on Modern Records, Dixon replaced Brown in Johnny Moore's Three Blazers. They recorded for Aladdin Records and scored a hit with Telephone Blues. Dixon went solo and recorded a few singles for Aladdin. Then he moved to Specialty Records and that's where he recorded Hey Bartender in 1954. The song was written by Dossie Terry who recorded a few singles in the 50s but was mostly a songwriter. The song wasn't a hit at the time. But ska legend Laurel Aitken had a hit with it in England in 1961. And then The Blues Brothers recorded it in 1978. Johnny Lee scored a country hit with it in 1983. That led to a career revival for Dixon who semi retired in the 70s. This comp from Jasmine covers his 50s recordings. In the 90s, Dixon recorded for Alligator Records and toured successfully. He died on July 26, 2006 at age 77. Here's a video of Hey Bartender by Floyd Dixon.
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