Lloyd Price facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lloyd Price
Price in 1959
Background information
Born	(1933-03-09)March 9, 1933 Kenner, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	May 3, 2021(2021-05-03) (aged 88) New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Genres	Rhythm and blues rock and roll New Orleans R&B soul music
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter bandleader entrepreneur record executive
Years active	1952–2019
Labels	Specialty KRC ABC-Paramount Turntable

Lloyd Price (March 9, 1933 – May 3, 2021) was an American singer, songwriter, and businessman. He was often called "Mr. Personality" because of his huge hit song "Personality" in 1959. His first big song, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", became a hit in 1952.

Lloyd Price helped shape the sound of early rock and roll and rhythm and blues music. He released many records, and some became very popular. He was recognized for his contributions when he was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Early Life and Education

Lloyd Price was born on March 9, 1933, in Kenner, Louisiana. This town is a suburb of New Orleans. His mother, Beatrice Price, owned a restaurant called Fish 'n' Fry. From her, Lloyd learned a lot about business and food, which became lifelong interests.

Both Lloyd and his younger brother, Leo, loved music. Lloyd learned to play the trumpet and piano. He also sang in his church's gospel choir and was part of a band in high school.

Music Career

In 1952, Art Rupe, who owned Specialty Records, came to New Orleans. He wanted to record the special rhythm and blues music being made there. Rupe heard Lloyd Price's song "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" and decided to record it.

Since Lloyd didn't have his own band, Rupe hired Dave Bartholomew and his band to help. Even Fats Domino played piano on the recording! The song became a massive hit. Lloyd continued to record for Specialty, but his next songs weren't as successful right away.

In 1954, Lloyd was called to serve in the United States Army and went to Korea. When he returned, he found that other artists, like Little Richard, had become very popular.

Lloyd then started his own record company called KRC Records with Harold Logan and Bill Boskent. Their first song, "Just Because," was distributed by ABC Records. From 1957 to 1959, Lloyd Price had many national hits with ABC. He used the unique New Orleans sound in his music.

Some of his biggest hits included "Stagger Lee" (which was number one on both Pop and R&B charts and sold over a million copies), "Personality" (which reached number 2), and "I'm Gonna Get Married" (number 3). When Lloyd sang "Stagger Lee" on the TV show American Bandstand, the host, Dick Clark, asked him to change some of the words. He wanted to make the song less violent. "Stagger Lee" was an old blues song that many artists had recorded before.

In 1962, Price and Harold Logan started another record label called Double L Records. Famous singer Wilson Pickett began his career on this label. Price and Logan also opened a club in New York City called Birdland. Sadly, in 1969, Harold Logan was murdered in the club's office. After this, Lloyd started a new record label called Turntable.

During the 1970s, Lloyd Price helped the boxing promoter Don King organize big boxing matches. These included the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire. He also helped with the concert that went along with the fight, which featured stars like James Brown and B.B. King. Lloyd and Don King even started a record label together called LPG.

Lloyd Price continued to perform and tour. In 1993, he toured Europe with other music legends like Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. In 2005, he performed with Jerry Butler, Gene Chandler, and Ben E. King on the "Four Kings of Rhythm and Blues" tour. These concerts were recorded for a DVD and a TV special.

He also appeared in the 2005 documentary film Make It Funky!. This film explored the history of New Orleans music. In the movie, he sang "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" with Allen Toussaint. In 2010, he appeared and sang in the TV series Treme. He continued to sing and perform until 2019.

Other Pursuits

Lloyd Price was a very active businessman. Besides his music career, he owned businesses in many different areas. He had two construction companies that built homes in the Bronx and Staten Island in the 1980s.

He also managed Global Icon Brands, which made Southern-style food products. These included "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" foods, like canned greens and sweet potato cookies. He also had a line of "Lloyd Price" foods, such as grits and energy bars. His company also sold "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" clothing and collectibles.

In 2011, Lloyd Price released his autobiography, The True King of the Fifties: The Lloyd Price Story. He also worked on a Broadway musical about his life called Lawdy Miss Clawdy. The musical told the story of his rise to fame and how rock and roll grew from the New Orleans music scene.

Honors and Awards

The city of Kenner, Louisiana celebrates an annual Lloyd Price Day in his honor.

Personal Life and Death

Lloyd Price and his wife lived in Westchester County, New York. He passed away on May 3, 2021, at the age of 88. He died from complications related to diabetes.

Discography

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

Images for kids

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  Price holding a microphone in 1996

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  Price with the Ed Palermo Big Band in 2018

See also

In Spanish: Lloyd Price para niños