Brad Suggs

Brad Suggs ( born 1933 in Raleigh, North Carolina as Luther Bradley Suggs ) is an American rockabilly musician and former A & R manager.

Life

Born and raised in North Carolina, Suggs began his career in the late 1940s under the name " Pee Wee Suggs " as a guitarist in the Loden Family. There he played alongside Sonny James', who was active as a fiddler in the group. In the early 1950s he was a member of Slim Rhodes ' band. At the same time Rhodes had his first recordings at Sun Records. On these recordings Suggs can be heard as a guitarist. 1952 interrupted his career but when he was drafted into the army.

Career

When it was learned that only two of his brothers had been killed in Korea, Suggs was able to spend his time in the military in the States. After he was released, he played back together with Slim Rhodes. With Rhodes he took the first time as a singer on the title Do not Believe, Are You Ashamed Of Me and Bad Girl. As Rhodes but went on tour with his band, Suggs was in Memphis because his wife was ill at the time and he would not let them alone. Without Sam Phillips to inform the owner of the Sun, he sat down with Les Bihari in conjunction, the owner of Meteor Records. There he took, among other things, Smokey Joe Baugh on the piano, his first two solo pieces Bob Baby Bop and Charcoal Suit on. His record release opened him the opportunity to perform with other artists Meteor. But unlike most of rockabilly musicians of his time Suggs moved to the producers and was at Meteor A & R manager.

At the same time, however, he continued to play at Rhodes, who had returned and was able to work as a session musician at Sun. He is to hear, for example, at Warren Smith ' Ubangi Stomp and Jerry Lee Lewis' Hillbilly Fever. In a sub-label of Sun, the Phillips Records, Suggs still released records, his last published in 1961. During the same year, he starred as a background musician with Elvis Presley's Memphis concert on February 25.

After his musical career, Suggs put the music in the background and henceforth worked at Sears Roebuck. Only on weekends he stepped on. Today he lives the now retired Brad Suggs in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Discography

* These recordings were made under the name of Slim Rhodes. Suggs is only heard as a singer here.