Lloyd Price

One of the most potent rhythm & blues shouters of the 1950s, Lloyd Price began his career singing gritty New Orleans-style material, becoming an R&B star with numbers like "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" (1952) and "Tell Me Pretty Baby" (1953) for Specialty Records. In the late '50s, he jumped to the ABC-Paramount label, and glossier production and more full-bodied arrangements helped him scale the pop charts, scoring hit singles like "Stagger Lee" (1958) and "Personality" (1959). Throughout his career, Price had a potent voice that was expressive with just the right amount of swagger, and his authoritative delivery could cut through any studio band. Price's finest Specialty sides are collected on the 1991 collection Lawdy! and a strong sampling of his late-'50s material can be found on 1994's Greatest Hits: The Original ABC-Paramount Recordings.