Lucy Mae Blues

Frankie Lee Sims (1917-1970) 

 

American singer-songwriter and electric blues guitarist. He released nine singles during his career, one of which, "Lucy Mae Blues" (1953), was a regional hit.

Sims was the cousin of another Texas blues musician, Lightnin' Hopkins, and he worked with several other prominent blues musicians, including Texas Alexander, T-Bone Walker, King Curtis and Albert Collins. Sims is regarded as one of the important figures in postwar Texas country blues. [Wikipedia]

Lucy Mae Blues

 

Collection of his complete Specialty recordings compiled and produced for reissue by Billy Vera and mastered in 1992 by Joe Tarantino at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley.

All tracks recorded in Dallas in 1953 and 1954. From these 20 sides, only 6 sides were originally  issued in the fifties by Specialty :

459 Lucy Mae Blues / Don't Take It Out On Me   
478 I'm Long, Long Gone / Yeh, Baby!
487 Rhumba My Boogie / I'll Get Along Somehow   

I'm Just Your Fool

Rena Wright

I'm Just Your Fool

I'm Just Your Fool was written and recorded by Buddy Johnson in 1953, with vocal by sis Ella Johnson (Mercury 70251)

Orena Dunham Fulmer (1923-2011) had sung in church and amateur shows while in high school in Stockton, Calif.  When she married and moved to Texas she sang in choirs and on radio and she subsequently recorded as Rena Wright. 

Rena Fulmer said that her recording “You Meant Goodbye” included a young Marilyn McCoo (5th Dimension) on background vocals. The record reportedly got airplay on KFWB in L.A. Fulmer left Tide around 1969 to do missionary work in Baja Cali­fornia for five years. She apparently remained somewhat connected however, as she assisted with the group Third Point in the mid-late 70’s. She went into real estate in 1975.

Acknowledgments : Gary E. Myers

Discography :

1959 Deal Me A Hand / My Prayer At Eventide (Vita 185)
1962 I'm Just Your Fool / You Meant Goodbye (Tide 1079)
1967 This Angry World / B: Message To My Soldier Boy (Tide 2017)

The Kids (Volume 2)

"My father never raised his hand to any one of his children, except in self-defense".

Fred Allen, American comedian
1894 - 1956

★

Baby J.J.  - Amigo Mio (Chico)    

J.J. Villegas was born and raised in Lyford, Texas.  Son of conjunto Chuy Villegas.
J.J. has enjoyed a long musical career having begun to sing under Baby JJ y Los Happy Boys at about the age of 5 years old. He has played with numerous groups, including Roberto Pulido, Laura Canales & Laura Linda V and The Boys.

Carole Coby - Memphis-Calling-New-York-City (Epic, 1964)

Answer record to Chuck Berry. Carole Coby, whoever she is, later recorded a song in 1965 called "My Soldier Boy" (on the Roulette label, produced by Hugo & Luigi), one of the first song to mention the Vietnam War.

Tres & Kitsy - The Children Of Sunshine (KBK, 1971)

Tres Williams and Kitsy Christner from St. Louis County were both 10 years old when they recorded the album ‘Dandelions’. Encouraged by their guitar teacher, Tres and Kitsy wrote, arranged and recorded 10 songs. They used a picture from their school photography project for the cover, enlisted local musicians to help out and privately pressed 300 copies to sell to friends and family.  A Production of Kesterson, Bradley & Kesterson Custom Records, St Louis, Missouri.

Dawn Van De Pitte - Christmas Isn't Christmas (Buddah, 1976)  

Six-year-old daughter of Dave Van De Pitte, a Detroit musician and arranger. Jeff Parsons, Dawn's uncle, was complaining at dinner one evening he was having a hard time finding a singer to work with and little Dawn said, "Let me, Uncle Jeff." He did.

Joe Ward - Nuttin’ For Christmas (King, 1955)

Born April 27, 1947 in New York, Joe Ward was seen on the Juvenile Jury TV and radio shows during several years from the early fifties. His grandfather was a headliner in vaudeville, his grandmother was a pianist, his mother was a professional singer and dancer and his uncle, Sam Ward, was a songwriter and ASCAP member.

Little Adrian  - A Little Love and Understanding (1975)      

A product of the PPX Company in New York operated by Ed Chalpin, whose business was making quick, down and dirty (and unlicensed?) covers of bulleted chart movers, and then leasing them out to labels in foreign countries. "A Little Love and Understanding"  was issued in various countries but not, as far as I known, in the United States. 

Little Denise Stevenson - Hip Breakin (Voice, 1973)    

"12 years old with 50 years of soul" produced by Jimmy McCracklin, Oakland, California label.  On another Oakland label, she was billed as Little Denice (also a McCracklin production)

Little Jacky Wayne - White Felt Hat (REM, 1960)          

Born Jacky Wayne Waldrop prematurely on July 8, 1948 at the family home he weighed just over three pounds and those first days and weeks were touch-and-go. The family was resourceful and Jacky later learned just how much. “Grandmother put me in a roasting pan on the oven door and prayed all night and fed me with an eye dropper since I was so small.”

Singing Jones Family - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (Sunnyland, 197x)   

From Mount Olive, Gastonia or Spartanburg, S.C,   mother Dot on rhythm guitar, father D. A. Jones on bass along with their teenage daughters, Linda (piano) and Rose (drums). All pictured together on the back cover of their LP "Sunnyland Records Presents The Singing Jones Family" smiling in front of their big mobile home/tour bus with "The Singing Jones Family" emblazoned on the side.  Produced by D.L. Hardin. Linda or Rose on vocal?

The Buttons - Shimmy Shimmy Watusi (Columbia, 1962)       

Nashville duo. Members : Connie Burns (aged 12) and Sandra Matthews (aged 13) (later known as Reggae singer Dhaima)