The Meters were an American funk band from New Orleans that released three albums on Josie Records in 1969 and 1970, followed by another five albums on Warner/Reprise between 1972 and 1977. They evolved from the Neville Sounds, formed in 1960 by keyboardist Art Neville and his two brothers, Cyril and Aaron. When the latter […]
The Residents were an American avant-garde/performance band of unidentified players, formed in Shreveport, La., and based in San Francisco for most of their career. Between 1972 and 1985, the band released twelve albums and assorted shortplayers on self-press Ralph Records. Members: Hardy Fox, Carlos (percussion, 1984–2009), Nolan Cook (guitar, 1998–) ? Background The musicians who […]
Idris Muhammad (1939–2014) was an American jazz-funk drummer. He played on Fifties hits by The Hawketts and Fats Domino and earned Sixties credits behind Lou Donaldson, Donald Byrd, and Pharoah Sanders. As a solo artist, he made two 1971 Prestige albums, followed by multiple titles on Kudo, including the 1974 jazz-funk classic Power of Soul. […]
Joe Simon (September 7, 1936 – December 13, 2021) was an American soul singer, songwriter, and producer from Simmesport, Louisiana. He recorded eighteen secular studio albums between 1966 and 1985 on Sound Stage 7, Spring, Posse, and Compleat, with major singles including “The Chokin’ Kind,” “Drowning in the Sea of Love,” “Power of Love,” and […]
Merry Clayton (born Dec. 25, 1948) is an American soul singer from New Orleans who emerged through Los Angeles studio work. She reached a wider audience with her 1969 vocal feature opposite Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones evergreen “Gimme Shelter,” then recorded the Ode albums Gimme Shelter, Merry Clayton, and Keep Your Eye on […]
The Wild Magnolias were an American Mardi Gras Indian ensemble that merged traditional chants with a funk rhythm section. They worked with Willie Tee and members of The Gaturs on two albums in 1974 and 1975 for Barclay. Their blend of street-rooted vocal rituals and electric instrumentation linked New Orleans tribal culture with the city’s […]
The Wild Tchoupitoulas were an American tribal-funk/zydeco group from New Orleans that released a self-titled album on Antilles in 1976. Members: Big Chief Jolly [George Landry] (vocals), Aaron Neville (vocals, keyboards), Art Neville (keyboards, vocals), Charles Neville (saxophone, flute), Cyril Neville (vocals), George Porter, Jr. (bass), Leo Nocentelli (guitar), Teddy Royal (guitar), Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste […]
Tami Lynn — aka Gloria Brown (born 1942) — is an American soul singer from New Orleans who released the 1972 album Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone. Background Tami Lynn was born Gloria Jean Brown on January 25, 1939, in Gert Town, New Orleans, Louisiana. Brown attended R.T. Danneel #2 Elementary School, where […]
Lift was an American symphonic-rock band from New Orleans. Guinness, a tax-shelter label, pressed the group’s 1974 recordings without authorization as the 1977 album Caverns of Your Brain. Syn-Phonic sanctioned the first official edition in 1990 and later gathered both principal lineups on The Moment of Hearing. Members: Chip Gremillion (keyboards), Chip Grevemberg (drums, percussion), […]
Marie Queenie Lyons is an American soul singer who released the 1970 album Soul Fever on DeLuxe Records. Background Marie Queenie Lyons was born in Archibald, Louisiana, and grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio. Her public biography starts with teenage club work around Geneva-on-the-Lake, a Lake Erie resort area east of Cleveland. At fifteen, Lyons sang […]
Chocolate Milk was an American soul-funk band from New Orleans that released eight albums between 1975 and 1982 on RCA Victor. Members: Amadee Castenell Jr. (vocals, saxophone), Frank Richards (vocals, percussion), Mario Tio (guitar), Ernest Dabon (bass), Robert Dabon (piano, clavinet, moog), Joe “Foxx” Smith (trumpet, flugelhorn), Kenneth Williams (percussion), Dwight Richards (drums), David Barard […]
Stanton Davis (born Nov. 10, 1945) is an American trumpeter from New Orleans who led the jazz-funk band Ghetto Mysticism, which issued the 1977 album Brighter Days on Outrageous Records Incorporated. Background Stanton Davis Jr. was born on November 10, 1945, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Doreatha J. Davis and Stanton Davis Sr. Davis started […]
Axis was an American hard-rock trio that released the 1978 RCA album It’s a Circus World. Guitarist/vocalist Danny Johnson and drummer Vinny Appice hailed from Derringer. Johnson later replaced Steve Vai in Alcatrazz. Appice joined the Mob Rules lineup of Black Sabbath and proceeded to the band of vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Bassist Jay Davis […]
Zebra was an American symphonic/hard-rock trio from New Orleans that made the 1983/84 Atlantic albums Zebra and No Tellin’ Lies, scoring FM hits with “Who’s Behind the Door,” “Tell Me What You Want,” and “Bears.” Their 1986 third album 3.V preceded a seventeen-year pause, ended by the 2003 comeback Zebra IV. Members: Randy Jackson (lead […]
Le Roux was an American southern/hard-rock band from Lafayette, formed in 1978 as Louisiana’s LeRoux. Two albums appeared under the elongated nameplate on Capitol circa 1978/79, followed by three titles under the truncated name between 1980 and 1983. Members: Jeff Pollard (guitar, 1978-81), Rod Roddy (piano), Tony Haselden (guitar), Leon Medica (bass), David Peters (drums), […]
Irma Thomas is an American soul singer who emerged with the 1959 R&B hit “Don’t Mess with My Man” and scored pop crossover hits with the 1964 singles “Wish Someone Would Care,” “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand),” “Times Have Changed,” and “He’s My Guy.” Between 1964 and 2009, she released seventeen albums […]
Windjammer was an American soul group from New Orleans that released three 1982–85 MCA albums and scored Billboard R&B hits with “You’ve Got Me Dancing” and “Live Without Your Love,” while “Tossing and Turning” reached the UK Top 20. Members: Kevin McLin (guitar), Roy Paul Joseph (guitar), Chris Severin (bass), Darrell Winchester (drums), Carl Dennis […]
