RIP Lloyd Price

[Mr._Graybeard]

Rock 'n' roll pioneer dead at age 88. He had his first R&B hit in his teens (1952) with piano accompaniment by Fats Domino.

 

[VanWinkle]

Before my time, but great music from someone unknown to me before now.

 

[Koolau]

I loved Lloyd Price's work. I still recall that his song "Personality" was the first song that came across my brand new 6 transistor portable radio. It would have been 1960 on WLS AM 890 Chicago. I bought the radio at Pennys and had to find a 9 volt battery to make it work. Those were the days. RIP

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

I loved Lloyd Price's work. I still recall that his song "Personality" was the first song that came across my brand new 6 transistor portable radio. It would have been 1960 on WLS AM 890 Chicago. I bought the radio at Pennys and had to find a 9 volt battery to make it work. Those were the days. RIP

Mom and Dad brought home a portable record player around Christmas, I believe, 1961. The resale shop or wherever they bought the thing threw in a handful of assorted LPs -- Tony Bennett and Santo & Johnny among them, along with an ABC collection of hits called "A Million or More." Lloyd Price was represented on it with "Stagger Lee" and another tune he recorded, "Just Because." Other hits included "Black Slacks, "At the Hop" and Paul Anka's puppy-love anthem, "Diana." I think I still have that record in my stacks of dusty LPs.

I was also a WLS listener. You must have been tuned in after May 2, 1960, the day the station dropped its farm-related format and switched to top 40.

My neighbors, a young couple with a boy my age, had the radio on constantly, tuned to WLS. I remember one of their early sponsors was an acne cream called "Tackle."

 

[Koolau]

Mom and Dad brought home a portable record player around Christmas, I believe, 1961. The resale shop or wherever they bought the thing threw in a handful of assorted LPs -- Tony Bennett and Santo & Johnny among them, along with an ABC collection of hits called "A Million or More." Lloyd Price was represented on it with "Stagger Lee" and another tune he recorded, "Just Because." Other hits included "Black Slacks, "At the Hop" and Paul Anka's puppy-love anthem, "Diana." I think I still have that record in my stacks of dusty LPs.

I was also a WLS listener. You must have been tuned in after May 2, 1960, the day the station dropped its farm-related format and switched to top 40.

My neighbors, a young couple with a boy my age, had the radio on constantly, tuned to WLS. I remember one of their early sponsors was an acne cream called "Tackle."

Yes! That was the day the "music was reborn" as far as my friends and I were concerned. I'd sling my portable radio over my handle bars and peddle to all my old haunts with a new smile on my face. Oddly, I loved the old Barn Dance and Dad would take my sister and me to the events where you could see the Prairie Farmer personalities (Homer and Jethro, Captan Stubby and the Buccaneers, Lulu Bell and Scotty, etc.) But when the big switch came, I'd just turned 13 and, hormones raging, it was Rock 'N Roll all the way. There was no turning back after that. That's still the music I love - '50s/'60s up through maybe mid '70s rock.

Lloyd Price was a big part of it along with so many others - almost all gone now. What a great time to be alive! YMMV

 

[jollystomper]

My older siblings had several of his 45s, and they listened to a lot of R&B oldies stations where I heard more of him. I liked his songs. RIP.

 

[Eagle43]

He was a great singer. His songs could and did become an earworm. And Lawdy Miss Claudy he was born in Kenner (New Orleans). May he RIP.

 

[W2R]

I loved Lloyd Price's work. I still recall that his song "Personality" was the first song that came across my brand new 6 transistor portable radio. It would have been 1960 on WLS AM 890 Chicago.

I was listening to WLS Chicago back in 1960, too! Great fun and you could hear it hundreds of miles away even with my little cheap AM radio.

He was a great singer. His songs could and did become an earworm. And Lawdy Miss Claudy he was born in Kenner (New Orleans). May he RIP.

Next suburb over from where I live now (although I didn't live here until the 1990's).

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Yes! That was the day the "music was reborn" as far as my friends and I were concerned. I'd sling my portable radio over my handle bars and peddle to all my old haunts with a new smile on my face. Oddly, I loved the old Barn Dance and Dad would take my sister and me to the events where you could see the Prairie Farmer personalities (Homer and Jethro, Captan Stubby and the Buccaneers, Lulu Bell and Scotty, etc.) But when the big switch came, I'd just turned 13 and, hormones raging, it was Rock 'N Roll all the way. There was no turning back after that. That's still the music I love - '50s/'60s up through maybe mid '70s rock.

Lloyd Price was a big part of it along with so many others - almost all gone now. What a great time to be alive! YMMV

Can't forget Arkie the Arkansas Woodchopper!

Jethro Burns performed with Steve Goodman quite a bit in the late '70s. I caught them on a small stage at Milwaukee Summerfest one year. Quite a witty show, to say the least -- and they could sure play.

 

[donethat]

I wanted to give our son the middle name Staggerlee. My wife nixed the idea.

 

[aja8888]

I loved Lloyd Price's work. I still recall that his song "Personality" was the first song that came across my brand new 6 transistor portable radio. It would have been 1960 on WLS AM 890 Chicago. I bought the radio at Pennys and had to find a 9 volt battery to make it work. Those were the days. RIP

I am amazed that you can recall details like this. I was 17 in 1960 and remember only some significant things like my high school graduation day, etc.

 

[W2R]

I wanted to give our son the middle name Staggerlee. My wife nixed the idea.

Ever since Lloyd Price died, I have had a link to the youtube of Staggerlee on my computer desktop. It's the only one there. So, I can understand the sentiment! However, your wife was probably right.

My brother's name is George, and he has always said that anybody naming their little boy George has to be a sadist. I can't imagine how un-gracefully he would have taken it, had his name been Staggerlee.