Huey Piano Smith
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Biography
Huey 'Piano' Smith â born in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 26, 1934 - was an R&B pianist whose work in the 1950s left a significant mark on the development of rock and roll. He wrote his first song, âRobertson Street Boogieâ, on the piano aged just eight, and at 15 he began working in clubs and recording alongside Eddie Jones (later known as Guitar Slim). Thanks to his performances backing Jones and Earl King, Huey âPianoâ Smith became a sought-after session pianist and appeared on tracks by the likes of Little Richard, Smiley Lewis, and Lloyd Price. By the mid-1950s, he was leading his own band, The Clowns, fronted by Bobby Marchan. His group landed a deal with Ace and scored a number of Billboard chart hits, most notably âRockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu,â which topped a million sales and went gold. The band had their biggest hit in 1958 with the double A-side âDon't You Just Know Itâ b/w âHigh Blood Pressure,â reaching the R&B Top 5 and the national Top 10. He issued his only proper album, Having a Good Time with Huey âPianoâ Smith and His Clowns, in 1959. He wrote and recorded the song âSea Cruiseâ with His Clowns, but then used the same backing track and brought in Frankie Ford to sing lead vocals. Fordâs version of the song was a hit, reaching Number 14 on Billboardâs Hot 100 Singles chart. Huey âPianoâ Smith briefly moved over to Imperial before shifting back to Ace for a final chart single, 1962's âPop Eye.â He continued to record and tour through the '60s, both with The Clowns and with The Hueys and The Pitter Pats, but never broke into the charts again. He ultimately became a Jehovah's Witness and left the industry altogether, though in 2000, he was given a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. His recorded legacy has been reissued several times on compilations over the years including Rockinâ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu (1965), This Is⦠Huey âPianoâ Smith (1998), and Don't You Just Know It: The Very Best of 1956-1962 Singles As & Bs (2016). Huey âPianoâ Smith died on February 13, 2023, at the age of 89.
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Albums
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- Rock 'N' Roll Santa Claus featuring Huey Piano Smith
- 'Twas the Night Before Christmas featuring Huey Piano Smith
- Doing the Santa Claus featuring Huey Piano Smith
- Behind The Wheel
- Rockin' Pneumonia & The Boogie Woogie Flu
- Scald Dog
- Rockin' Pneumonia
- Havin' a Good Time
- Rockin Pneumonia and Boogie Woogie Flu featuring Huey Piano Smith
- Silent Night featuring Huey Piano Smith
- Jingle Bells featuring Huey Piano Smith
- Don't You Just Know It
- Doing the Santa Claus featuring Huey Piano Smith
- I Wrote to Santa Claus featuring Huey Piano Smith
- White Christmas Blues featuring Huey Piano Smith
- Almost Time for Santa featuring Huey Piano Smith
- All I Want for Christmas featuring Huey Piano Smith
- High Blood Pressure
- We'll Be John Brown by Huey Piano Smith
- Happy New Year featuring Huey Piano Smith
