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Don Robey and Duke-Peacock Records Although it was not until 1956 that Memphis resident Elvis Presley took his version of “Hound Dog” to the top of the pop charts, another important musical connection between that city and Houston had been established several years before, when Robey bought Memphis-based Duke Records. Previously owned by David Mattis, the program director at Memphis radio station WDIA, Duke held the contracts of such performers as Johnny Ace, Junior Parker, and Bobby “Blue” Bland, and their records quickly made the Duke-Peacock collaboration one of the hottest in R&B. The Peacock label released mostly gospel sides from some of the genre’s most popular acts, including the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Mighty Clouds of Joy, the Pilgrim Jubilee Singers, and the Sunset Travelers (who counted soul-man-to-be O.V. Wright as a member). The Tempo Toppers, a gospel/R&B hybrid from New Orleans, recorded briefly for Peacock. The records didn’t get much attention, and one of the group’s vocalists, Richard Penniman, set out on a solo career. A few years later he found fame, if not always fortune, as Little Richard. The Duke label, meanwhile, set a new standard for R&B and blues. Its first star, Johnny Ace (John Alexander Jr.), had three No. 1 R&B hits and several more in the Top 10 between 1952 and 1954. But the young singer’s life ended tragically on Christmas Day 1954, after he was shot the night before while allegedly playing Russian Roulette backstage at a gig at the City Auditorium in Houston. Junior Parker and Bobby “Blue” Bland charted for Duke in 1957, Parker with “Next Time You See Me” and Bland with “Farther Up the Road.” Both songs featured the wildly successful Duke formula: silky smooth vocals supported by lush horn arrangements. The label paired Parker and Bland on 1958’s Blues Consolidated album, and the two often toured as co-headliners. Each artist also recorded solo albums for Duke that are still considered quintessential: Bland’s Two Steps From the Blues (1961) and Parker’s Driving Wheel (1962). Parker left the label in 1966 with several Top 10 hits to his credit. Bland stayed until Robey sold Duke to ABC-Dunhill Records in 1973; among his numerous hits are “I’ll Take Care of You,” “I Pity the Fool,” and “Turn On Your Love Light,” each one a blues/R&B classic, and he continues to tour and record (with Jackson, Mississippi based Malaco Records) today.
Johnny Ace: “Pledging My Love”
Junior Parker: “Drivin' Wheel”
Bobby "Blue" Bland: “Farther Up The Road”
See Memphis: A Century of Blues for more on that city's contributions to the blues... Next Page: A controversial reputation...
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 Ten Things to Help You Become a Better Blues Musician, by Don Mock |
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 Sweet Home Chicago: Big City Blues 1946-1966 Excello Records and the Swamp Blues 2003 W.C. Handy Blues Awards Weekend (Feature Article) The British Blues A Once-in-a-Lifetime Lineup Salutes the Blues Memphis: A Century of the Blues Clarksdale: Delta Blues Past and Present The Piedmont Blues: Alive and Well in D.C. Q&A with Peter Guralnick Don Robey and Duke-Peacock Records Celebrating the Year of the Blues |
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This is an archived page, and no longer actively updated. As of 2/1/04, its contents, including but not limited to dates and contact information, may no longer be current or accurate. |
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