Lloyd Price

Lawdy Miss Clawdy
Stagger Lee

'Lawdy Miss Clawdy' was Lloyd's first hit with the piano played by Fats Domino.


His follow ups were: 'Oooh, Oooh, Oooh', 'Restless Heart' ,'Tell Me Pretty Baby' 'Ain't It a Shame'. His career was interrupted by an army stretch in Korea; then 'Just Because' (Covered later by Larry Williams). One of his big hits in the UK was Personality.

Stagger Lee was an version of 'Stack-A-Lee' ,an old blues standard. Lloyd Price gave it the full blown rock 'n' roll treatment and bagged a big hit. His treatment included a slow, almost gospel start 'And the leaves came tumbling .... down' before it turned into an up tempo maelstrom of sound. I loved it as a kid.

It topped the USA R&B charts in 1958 and was followed by a string of successful hits. Stagger Lee became a part of many soul and R n B acts. The Isley Brothers performed a live version on the UK TV show Ready Steady Go in 1965.

In the late sixties his business partner was murdered and it affected him badly, to the extent he left the music business, moving into boxing promotion with Don king (could have been out of the frying pan and into the fire with that one).

In 1993 he did a comeback tour with Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Gary U.S. Bonds.

See Titus Turner - did answer back songs to Lloyd's.