James "Sugar Boy" Crawford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James "Sugar Boy" Crawford
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Crawford in a rare appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 1996 as a guest of his grandson, Davell Crawford
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Crawford |
| Born | October 12, 1934 New Orleans, Louisiana, United States |
| Died | September 15, 2012 (aged 77) New Orleans, Louisiana, United States |
| Genres | Rhythm and blues |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano |
| Years active | 1950–1969 |
| Labels | Aladdin, Ace, Checker Records, Imperial, Specialty |
| Associated acts | Davell Crawford, Snooks Eaglin, Irving Banister |
James "Sugar Boy" Crawford, Jr. (born October 12, 1934 – died September 15, 2012) was a talented American R&B musician. He came from New Orleans, a city famous for its music. Sugar Boy Crawford wrote a very popular song called "Jock-A-Mo" in 1954. This song later became an even bigger hit called "Iko Iko" when the Dixie Cups sang it. Many other famous artists also recorded his song, like Dr. John, the Grateful Dead, and Cyndi Lauper.
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Early Life and Music Career
James Crawford first started playing the trombone. Later, he switched to the piano. While he was in high school, he formed a small band with his friends. They were just having fun playing music together.
A local DJ named Doctor Daddy-O gave their band a special name: Chapaka Shawee. This name means "We Aren't Raccoons" in Louisiana Creole French. It was also the name of a song they played that had no singing, just instruments.
Sugar Boy and His Cane Cutters
The band included Edgar "Big Boy" Myles, Warren Myles, Nolan Blackwell, Irving "Cat" Banister, and Alfred Bernard. They were all young musicians. Soon, the president of Chess Records, Leonard Chess, signed the group to his record label. He changed their name to Sugar Boy and his Cane Cutters.
The Song "Jock-A-Mo"
Sugar Boy Crawford's song "Jock-A-Mo" became a classic at the New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrations. It was a very important song for the city's music scene.
Later Years and Legacy
After 1963, Sugar Boy Crawford stopped performing publicly for a while. He later decided to sing only in church. In 2012, he made a special guest appearance on the HBO TV show Treme. He sang gospel music, which is a type of religious music. Sadly, he passed away one month before this episode aired.
James "Sugar Boy" Crawford was honored for his music. He was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame. This means his contributions to music in Louisiana are recognized as very important.
Family and Performances
In 1995, Sugar Boy Crawford appeared on an album called Let Them Talk. This album was by his grandson, Davell Crawford, who is also a musician. Sugar Boy also performed on stage with Davell a few times. One of these performances was at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 1996. He also performed at the Ponderosa Stomp in 2008.
Sugar Boy Crawford recorded music with other artists too, like Snooks Eaglin. He died in 2012 at the age of 77 after a short illness.
See also
In Spanish: James Crawford (músico) para niños
