Eddie Floyd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eddie Floyd
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Eddie Floyd in 2000
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Eddie Lee Floyd |
| Born | June 25, 1937 Montgomery, Alabama, United States |
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| Years active | 1956–present |
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Eddie Lee Floyd, born on June 25, 1937, is a famous American singer and songwriter. He is known for his amazing R&B and soul music. Eddie Floyd became very popular for his work with Stax Records in the 1960s and 1970s. His most famous song is "Knock on Wood", which was a number one hit!
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Eddie Floyd was born in Montgomery, Alabama. His mother, Florence Floyd, was a nurse, and his father, Prince Edward, worked with steel. Eddie grew up with four brothers and sisters: Joe, Benny, Dave, and Louise.
When Eddie was 13, he went to the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children in Mount Meigs. There, he started learning about music. He studied music theory and sang in a choir. This was an important step in his musical journey.
After three years, Eddie moved to Detroit, Michigan. He lived with his aunt and uncle, Robert and Catherine West. His uncle, Robert West, was a big part of the Detroit music scene. He even started his own record company called Lu Pine Records.
Eddie Floyd's Music Career
When he was 16, Eddie Floyd started a music group called The Falcons. Another singer, Mack Rice, was also in the group. The Falcons were one of the first groups like The Temptations and The Four Tops. Their popular songs included "You're So Fine." Later, Wilson Pickett joined as the lead singer, and they had a hit with "I Found a Love." After Wilson Pickett started his solo career, The Falcons group broke up.
Becoming a Songwriter at Stax Records
In 1965, Eddie Floyd signed a deal with Stax Records in Memphis. He joined them as a songwriter. He wrote a hit song called "Comfort Me" for singer Carla Thomas.
Then, Eddie started working with Steve Cropper, a guitarist from Stax. They wrote songs for Wilson Pickett, who was now with Atlantic Records. Atlantic Records helped distribute Stax music. Wilson Pickett came to Memphis to work with the band Booker T. & the MGs. Their sessions were very successful! They created many pop and R&B hits. Some of these songs, co-written by Eddie Floyd, were "Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won't Do)" and "634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)."
The Success of "Knock on Wood"
In 1966, Eddie Floyd recorded a song that was first written for Otis Redding. But the head of Stax Records, Jim Stewart, decided to release Eddie's version. This song, "Knock on Wood", written by Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd, started Eddie's solo career.
"Knock on Wood" became a huge hit! Over a hundred different artists have covered it, from David Bowie to Count Basie. Later, Otis Redding also recorded a hit version of the song in 1967 with Carla Thomas. In 1979, it became a disco hit for Amii Stewart.
More Hits and Songwriting
Eddie Floyd was a very talented artist at Stax Records. He had more hit songs on his own. These included "I've Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)" and "Raise Your Hand." Famous singers like Janis Joplin and Bruce Springsteen later covered "Raise Your Hand."
Eddie wrote the song "Big Bird" while waiting at a London airport. He was waiting for a plane to go back to the United States for Otis Redding's funeral.
Even with his own singing career, Eddie was one of Stax's most active songwriters. Almost every artist at Stax recorded songs written by Eddie Floyd. He often wrote with Steve Cropper or Booker T. Jones. Some of these songs include "You Don't Know What You Mean to Me" for Sam & Dave, "The Breakdown" for Rufus Thomas, and "I Love You More Than Words Can Say" for Otis Redding. He also wrote "Just the One (I've Been Looking For)" for Johnnie Taylor. This song was even played at the start of the movie Bedazzled.
Later Career and Recognition
In 1980, Eddie Floyd released music on a UK record label called I-Spy Records. He also joined his old friends from Stax, Steve Cropper and Donald "Duck" Dunn, to sing with The Blues Brothers Band. They went on many world tours together. In 1998, Eddie and Wilson Pickett sang "634-5789" together in the movie Blues Brothers 2000.
Besides singing with The Blues Brothers Band, Eddie Floyd has also been a special guest with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. Bill Wyman used to be in The Rolling Stones.
In 2008, Eddie Floyd returned to Stax Records. This record label was now owned by Concord Music Group. He released a new album called Eddie Loves You So in July 2008.
Eddie Floyd has received many honors for his music. In November 2012, he was inducted into the Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame. In December 2012, he released a Christmas album called Tonight's The Night. His son, Anthony Floyd, sang with him on the single "Don’t Forget About James Brown." In 2016, he was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.
In 2018, Eddie Floyd was named to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. On September 1, 2017, when he was 80 years old, Eddie performed live at the Royal Albert Hall BBC Proms. He sang with Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. This concert celebrated 50 years of Stax Records and Southern soul music.
On February 28, 2020, Rock House Records released Eddie Floyd's 1979 recording "Guess It Wasn't Meant to Be."
Discography
Albums
- Knock on Wood – (1967) – Stax
- Looking Back – (1968) – Ember Records
- I've Never Found a Girl – (1969) – Stax
- Rare Stamps – (1969) – Stax
- You've Got to Have Eddie – (1969) – Stax
- California Girl – (1970) – Stax
- Down to Earth – (1971) – Stax
- Baby Lay Your Head Down – (1973) – Stax
- Soul Street – (1974) – Stax
- Experience – (1978) – Malaco Records
- Flashback – (1988) – Ichiban Records
- Red, White & Blues (The Blues Brothers Band) – (1992) – Turnstyle Records
- Gotta Make a Comeback – (1999) – Plane Records
- To the Bone – (2002) – Rock House Records
- Eddie Loves You So – (2008) – Stax
- At Christmas Time – (2012) – Stax
- Down by the Sea – (2013) – Stax
See also
In Spanish: Eddie Floyd para niños
