Lee Dorsey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lee Dorsey
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Irving Lee Dorsey |
| Born | December 24, 1924 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | December 1, 1986 (aged 61) New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Genres | R&B, soul, funk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1950s–1986 |
| Labels | Fury, Amy, Polydor, ABC |
Irving Lee Dorsey (born December 24, 1924 – died December 1, 1986) was an American singer. He was famous for his pop and R&B songs in the 1960s. His most well-known songs were "Ya Ya" (1961) and "Working in the Coal Mine" (1966). Many of his songs were created with the help of Allen Toussaint. The band the Meters often played instruments for his music.
Contents
Lee Dorsey's Early Life and Career
Lee Dorsey was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a childhood friend of the famous musician Fats Domino. When he was ten, his family moved to Portland, Oregon.
During World War II, he served in the United States Navy. After the war, he tried a career in boxing. He was a featherweight boxer in the early 1950s. He fought under the name Kid Chocolate. However, he was not very successful and only had one fight. He was knocked out in the second round.
In 1955, he moved back to New Orleans. There, he opened an auto repair shop. At night, he also sang in local clubs.
Becoming a Music Star
Lee Dorsey made his first recording in 1958. It was called "Rock Pretty Baby/Lonely Evening." These early songs were not very successful.
Around 1960, a music expert named Marshall Sehorn discovered him. Sehorn helped him get a contract with Fury Records. Lee Dorsey then met songwriter and producer Allen Toussaint at a party. Together, they created the song "Ya Ya." This song was inspired by children chanting nursery rhymes.
"Ya Ya" became a huge hit in 1961. It reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart. It sold over one million copies and earned a gold disc. His next song, "Do-Re-Mi," also did well. However, other songs he released on Fury Records were not as popular. Lee Dorsey went back to working at his auto repair business. He also released a few more songs in 1963 and 1964.
More Hit Songs and Tours
Allen Toussaint contacted Lee Dorsey again. They recorded Toussaint's song "Ride Your Pony" for Amy Records. This song reached number 7 on the R&B chart in late 1965.
After that, he had more big hits. These included "Get Out of My Life, Woman" and "Working in the Coal Mine." "Working in the Coal Mine" was his biggest pop hit. "Holy Cow" also became very popular. All these songs were hits in both the US and the UK.
Lee Dorsey traveled around the world to perform. In 1966, he recorded an album with Toussaint called The New Lee Dorsey. In 1970, they worked together on the album Yes We Can. The title song was his last song to appear on the US singles chart. Later, the Pointer Sisters had a hit with the same song, called "Yes We Can Can." As his record sales slowed down, Dorsey focused more on his auto repair shop again.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1976, Lee Dorsey appeared on an album by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. This led to him recording more of his own music with ABC Records. He released the album Night People.
In 1980, he performed as an opening act for the English punk band The Clash during their US tour. He also toured with famous musicians like James Brown and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Lee Dorsey suffered from a lung disease called emphysema. He passed away on December 1, 1986, in New Orleans. He was 61 years old.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
UK |
||
| 1962 | Ya Ya | — | — | — |
| 1966 | Ride Your Pony - Get Out of My Life Woman | — | — | — |
| The New Lee Dorsey - Working in the Coalmine | 129 | 13 | 27 | |
| 1970 | Yes We Can | — | — | — |
| 1978 | Night People | — | — | — |
| "—" means the album did not appear on the charts. | ||||
Compilation albums
- All Ways Funky (1982)
- Holy Cow! The Best of Lee Dorsey (1985)
- 20 Greatest Hits (1991)
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop |
US R&B |
UK |
||||
| 1959 | "Rock" b/w "Lonely Evening" (Non-album track) |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| 1961 | "Lover of Love" b/w "Lottie-Mo" |
— | — | — | ||
| "Ya Ya" b/w "Give Me You" |
7 | 1 | — | Ya! Ya! | ||
| "Rock" b/w "Lonely Evening" (Non-album track) Second standard pressing |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | ||
| "Do-Re-Mi" b/w "People Gonna Talk" |
27 | 22 | — | Ya! Ya! | ||
| 1962 | "Eenie-Meenie-Minee-Mo" b/w "Behind the 8-Ball" |
— | — | — | ||
| "You Are My Sunshine" b/w "Give Me Your Love" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | ||
| 1963 | "Hoodlum Joe" b/w "When I Met My Baby" |
— | — | — | ||
| "Hello Good Looking" b/w "Someday" |
— | — | — | |||
| 1964 | "Organ Grinder Swing" b/w "I Gotta Find a New Love" |
— | — | — | ||
| "You're Breaking Me Up" b/w "Messed Around (and Fell in Love)" |
— | — | — | |||
| 1965 | "Ride Your Pony" b/w "The Kitty Cat Song" |
28 | 7 | — | Ride Your Pony - Get Out of My Life Woman | |
| "Work, Work, Work" b/w "Can You Hear Me" |
— | — | — | |||
| 1966 | "Get Out of My Life, Woman" b/w "So Long" |
44 | 5 | 22 | ||
| "Confusion" b/w "Neighbor's Daughter" |
— | — | 38 | The New Lee Dorsey | ||
| "Working in the Coal Mine" b/w "Mexico" |
8 | 5 | 8 | |||
| "Holy Cow" b/w "Operation Heartache" (Non-album track) |
23 | 10 | 6 | |||
| 1967 | "Rain Rain Go Away" b/w "Gotta Find a Job" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "My Old Car" b/w "Why Wait Until Tomorrow" |
97 | — | — | |||
| "Vista, Vista" b/w "I Can't Get Away" |
— | — | — | |||
| "Go-Go Girl" b/w "I Can Hear You Callin'" |
62 | 31 | — | |||
| "Love Lots of Lovin'" b/w "Take Care of Our Love" (Non-album track) Both sides with Betty Harris |
— | — | — | Holy Cow! The Best of Lee Dorsey | ||
| 1968 | "Cynthia" b/w "I Can't Get Away" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Wonder Woman" b/w "A Little Dab a Do Ya" (from The New Lee Dorsey) |
— | — | — | |||
| "Four Corners"—Part 1 b/w Part 2 |
— | — | — | |||
| "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" b/w "Little Ba-by" |
— | — | — | |||
| 1969 | "A Lover Was Born" b/w "What Now My Love" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On)" b/w "There Should Be a Book" (Non-album track) |
95 | 33 | — | Holy Cow! The Best of Lee Dorsey | ||
| "Give It Up" b/w "Candy Yam" |
— | — | — | |||
| 1970 | "Yes We Can"—Part 1 b/w "O Me-O, My-O" |
— | 46 | — | Yes We Can | |
| "What You Want (Is What You Get)" b/w "I Can Hear You Callin'" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | ||
| 1971 | "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley" b/w "Tears, Tears and More Tears" |
— | — | — | Yes We Can | |
| "Tears, Tears and More Tears" b/w "Occapella" |
— | — | — | |||
| 1972 | "Freedom for the Stallion" b/w "If She Won't (Find Someone Who Will)" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "When Can I Come Home" b/w "Gator Tail" (from Yes We Can) |
— | — | — | |||
| 1973 | "On Your Way Down" b/w "Freedom for the Stallion" |
— | — | — | ||
| 1978 | "Night People" b/w "Can I Be the One" |
— | 93 | — | Night People | |
| "Say It Again" b/w "God Must Have Blessed America" |
— | — | — | |||
| 1980 | "Hey Babe" b/w "Say It Again" |
— | — | — | ||
| 1982 | "Draining" b/w "Soul Mine" |
— | — | — | ||
| "—" means the song did not appear on the charts or was not released in that country. | ||||||
See also
In Spanish: Lee Dorsey para niños
