Piano Red facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Piano Red
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Willie Lee Perryman |
| Also known as | Dr. Feelgood |
| Born | October 19, 1911 Near Hampton, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | July 25, 1985 (aged 73) Decatur, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | Blues, R&B |
| Instruments | Piano, vocals |
| Years active | 1930s–1980s |
Willie Lee Perryman (born October 19, 1911 – died July 25, 1985) was an American blues musician. He was known as Piano Red and later as Dr. Feelgood. He was the first blues artist to have a song reach the pop music charts.
Piano Red taught himself to play the piano. He played in a style called barrelhouse blues. This was a loud, rhythmic piano style perfect for noisy bars. His music career grew during a time when music was starting to be shared with both white and black audiences. Some music experts believe his 1950 song "Rocking With Red" helped make the term "rock and roll" popular in Atlanta. His simple, strong piano playing and cheerful singing brought him success for over 30 years.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Willie Lee Perryman was born on a farm near Hampton, Georgia. His parents, Ada and Henry Perryman, were sharecroppers. This means they farmed land owned by someone else and shared the crops. Willie was an albino African American. This means he had very light skin and hair, and often poor eyesight. His older brother, Rufus, was also albino and a blues pianist known as "Speckled Red".
When Willie was six, his family moved to Atlanta. His father worked in a factory there. Willie and Rufus both had poor eyesight because of their albinism. They couldn't take formal music lessons. Instead, they learned to play the piano by ear. They developed their unique barrelhouse style this way. Willie sometimes said he copied Rufus's style. However, Rufus was much older and left Georgia when Willie was young. Another musician who inspired Willie was Fats Waller. Willie's mother would bring home Waller's records. He also learned from local blues pianists. These musicians often played at "house parties" or "rent parties." These were community events to raise money.
Piano Red's Career
Playing in the 1930s and 1940s
By the early 1930s, Piano Red was playing music in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. He performed at house parties, juke joints, and barrelhouses. These were places where people gathered to listen to music and dance. He developed his strong, rhythmic piano style and loud singing. This helped him be heard over the noise of people talking. It also helped because there were no sound systems back then. He played with other blues musicians like Barbecue Bob and Blind Willie McTell.
He also found work playing in Brevard, North Carolina. This was a mountain resort town. He traveled between Brevard and Atlanta. In Brevard, he played for white audiences. By 1934, he also started playing at white clubs in Atlanta. He would play at a white club until midnight. Then, he would go to an African-American club and play until 4 a.m. Piano Red learned many popular songs for white audiences. But he kept playing his blues music in African-American clubs.
Around 1936, he started being called "Piano Red." He made his first recordings with McTell. However, these songs were never released. He also started working as an upholsterer. This was a job he sometimes did throughout his life.
Hits and Radio Shows in the 1950s and 1960s
In 1950, Piano Red recorded "Rockin' with Red" and "Red's Boogie." He had spent the past 14 years mostly upholstering and playing music on weekends. These new songs became big hits across the country. They reached numbers five and three on the Billboard R&B chart. "Rockin' with Red" has been covered by many artists since then. This success allowed him to start performing much more often. He also recorded more songs in New York City and Nashville.
Piano Red often played for white teenagers' parties in Atlanta homes. People would arrange to pick him up and take him home. They would also pay him a small fee.
In the mid-1950s, Piano Red also became a disc jockey. He hosted The Piano Red Show (later The Dr. Feelgood Show) on radio stations WGST and WAOK in Atlanta. He even broadcast the show from a small building in his backyard! A young James Brown appeared on his show in the late 1950s. Piano Red's radio work also led him to appear on flatbed trucks in many parades. This inspired his song "Peachtree Parade." From the mid-1950s to the late 1960s, he recorded for several record labels. These included Columbia Records and Checker Records.
In 1961, Piano Red signed with Okeh Records. He started using the name Dr. Feelgood and the Interns. He released several popular songs, including "Doctor Feelgood." He had first used this "Dr. Feelgood" character on his radio shows. His new career as Dr. Feelgood was short. He never quite reached his earlier level of fame. In 1963, a band called The Merseybeats covered the B-side of "Doctor Feelgood," which was called "Mr. Moonlight." The Beatles also recorded "Mr. Moonlight" for their album Beatles for Sale. In 1966, The Lovin' Spoonful recorded Piano Red's song "Bald Headed Lena."
Later Career and Legacy
Piano Red remained a popular performer in Underground Atlanta. He went on several tours in Europe later in his career. He played at famous events like the Montreux Jazz Festival. He also performed on BBC Radio. During this time, he became friends with famous musicians like Bill Wyman, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, and Paul McCartney.
In 1979, his regular performance spot, Muhlenbrink's Saloon, closed. Piano Red was without a steady job for a while. But in 1981, he was hired to play five nights a week at the DuPre Excelsior Mill in Atlanta. In 1984, he asked for a live recording to be made there.
In 1985, Piano Red recorded a song called "Yo Yo." It was a duet with Danny Shirley. This song reached the national music chart that year.
The recordings from the Excelsior Mill were kept for 25 years. In 2010, they were finally released as a CD called The Lost Atlanta Tapes.
Personal Life and Passing
Piano Red got married in the early 1930s. He and his wife, Flora, had two daughters.
Piano Red was diagnosed with cancer in 1985. He passed away in July of that year in Decatur, Georgia. Important people like the governor of Georgia and the mayor of Atlanta attended his funeral.
Piano Red's song "Dr. Feelgood" was covered by several British bands. These included The Beatles and Johnny Kidd & the Pirates.
Images for kids
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Piano Red
