AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bill Doggett

 

Artist:Bill Doggett

Song:Honky Tonk Pt. 1

Album:Leaps and Bounds

Organist Bill Doggett is best known for his 1956 top five hit Honky Tonk Pt. 1, one of the all time great instrumental hits. But he was really a jazz musician who was an in demand sideman and accompanist. He was born Feb. 16, 1916 in Philadelphia. Doggett wanted to play the trumpet. But his parents couldn't afford one. His mother was church pianist and she convinced him to try the piano. By age 15 he led his own band. Doggett's first job was in Lucky Millender's band in 1938. He was in that band for four years. He was the pianist and arranger for The Ink Spots from 1942-44. He continued to work as a sideman for Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Otis, Wynonie Harris, Ella Fitzgerald and Lionel Hampton. In 1947 Doggett replaced Wild Bill Davis in Louis Jordan's band and he was on hits like Saturday Night Fish Fry. That's when he started playing the organ. While still recording as a sideman with Ella Fitzgerald and others. Doggett signed with King Records in 1953 and started releasing singles. He had some success on the R&B charts until Honky Tonk reached #2 on the pop charts in 1956. It topped the R&B Singles chart for three weeks. It was the biggest R&B hit of 1956. Part 1 was the A side. Part 2 was the B side. Doggett wrote Honky Tonk with his band of Billy Butler on guitar, Clifford Scott on sax and Shep Shepherd on drums. Honky Tonk has been frequently covered, most notably by James Brown in 1972. Though Honky Tonk was Doggett's only big hit single, he continued to have success in the R&B charts until he left King in 1961. He wanted more money and King owner Syd Nathan refused. This Charly Records budget comp has all of his King hits. In the 60s Doggett recorded for Warner Bros., Columbia, Verve, ABC-Paramount and Roulette. He returned to King in the late 60s and he recorded for the French label Black and Blue in the 70s. It doesn't look like Doggett moved to Europe but he certainly toured there a lot in the 70s. It looks like he semi-retired in the 80s. After one final album for Ichiban Records in 1991, Bill Doggett died on Nov. 13, 1996 at age 80. Here's Bill Doggett with Billy Martin on sax, Benny Goodwin on guitar, Walter McMahon on bass and Kenny Clayton on drums performing Honky Tonk on the French TV show Jazz Harmonie 1972.