James booker biography
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James Booker
He did not record much in his own name during these years, though. Cosima Matassa describes him as a neither very self centered nor ambitious person.
In he made a single (“Heavenly Angel”/”You’re Near Me”) for Chess, but it did not have any success. Later, Johnny Vincent actually signed him for a three year contract with Ace Records. The single &#;Open the Door&#;/&#;Teenage Rock&#; was released in , but when Booker discovered that Vincent had made Joe Tex overdub the vocal on the A-side, he was so disappointed that he backed out of the contract on the ground that he was minor. In , he recorded the Hammond organ driven instrumentals “Gonzo”/”Cool Turkey” on the small Peacock label. The name “Gonzo” was taken from the scary drug dealer in the film The Pusher (). The reference to drugs, which is also apparent in B-side title and the later single “Smacksie” indicates that Booker’s misuse was fully developed at this time. He was also a lifelong alcoholic.
Surprisingl
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James Booker
American musician and singer (–)
For the baseball player, see Pete Booker.
James Booker | |
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Booker in | |
| Birth name | James Carroll Booker III |
| Also known as | Little Booker, The Black Liberace, The Bayou Maharajah |
| Born | ()December 17, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | November 8, (aged 43) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Rhythm and blues, jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Keyboards, vocals[1] |
| Years active | – |
Musical artist
James Carroll Booker III (December 17, – November 8, ) was an American New Orleans rhythm and blues keyboardist and singer. Flamboyant in personality and style, and possessing extraordinary technical skill on the piano, he was dubbed "the Black Liberace."[2]
His recording "Gonzo" reached No. 43 on the Billboard magazine record chart and No. 3 in R&B, and he toured internationally in the s. After being mainly a rhythm and blues artist, Booker later fused this genre with jazz
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James Booker: The Piano Prince of New Orleans
James Carroll Booker III (December 17, – November 8, ) was an American New Orleans rhythm and blues keyboardist and singer. Flamboyant in personality and style, and possessing extraordinary technical skill on the piano, he was dubbed the Black Liberace.
James Booker was born in New Orleans. Nicknamed J.C., Booker was a child prodigy, classically trained on piano from the age of six, and played the kroppsdel in his father's churches. Booker returned permanently to New Orleans in , and enrolled in the fourth grade at a school where he befriended fellow students Art Neville, Charles Neville, and Allen Toussaint. bygd , Booker's parents had separated, and Ora remarried to Owen Champagne of New Orleans.
In at age 9, Booker was struck bygd an ambulance in New Orleans, that he said was traveling about 70 miles an hour. According to him, it dragged him for 30 feet and broke his leg in eight places, nearly requirin