Ivory Joe Hunter
Ivory Joe Hunter ( born October 10, 1914 in Kirbyville, Texas; † November 8, 1974 in Memphis, Tennessee ) was an American R & B singer, pianist and songwriter, not to be confused with Motown producers and songwriter Ivy Joe Hunter.
Hunter was known as "the Baron of the Boogie " ("The Baron of the Boogie" ), but also as "the Happiest Man Alive " ( " the luckiest man alive "). His best known hit was 1956 Since I Met You, Baby. It is estimated that he wrote over 7,000 songs.
Ivory Joe, as his baptismal name, was born into a musical family. His father played guitar, his mother was a gospel singer. Already young talent showed itself Hunters on the piano. Alan Lomax took him 1933 for the Library of Congress.
Beginning of the 1940s had Hunter own radio show in Beaumont (Texas ). In 1942 he moved to Los Angeles, where he played with Johnny Moore 's Three Blazers. With them he took his first hit on Blues at Sunrise, which he brought out on his own label, Ivory Records.
Later in the 1940s founded the Hunter label Pacific Records. Numerous recordings of this phase have been licensed by Four Star Records in Hollywood and re-released on this label. In 1949 he had his first USA -wide R & B hits I Quit My Pretty Mama and Guess Who. 1950 I Almost Lost My Mind conquered on MGM Records released the top position of the R & B charts. More hits followed, and in 1951 he appeared for the first time on television. In 1954, he had already recorded more than one hundred titles. In 1956 he released his biggest hit, Since I Met You, Baby with Atlantic Records, the twelfth of the Pop -Charts.
End of the 1950s the success began to subside. In the 1970s, Hunter had a comeback as a country singer. He joined, among others, at the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Ivory Joe Hunter died of lung cancer in 1974.
Several pieces Hunters were re-recorded by other artists. Pat Boone had 1956 I Almost Lost My Mind a number-one hit. Sonny James came in 1970 with Since I Met You, Baby # 1 on the country charts and ushered in a comeback Hunters. Elvis Presley had two Top 20 hits with Hunter Song: My Wish Came True and Is not That Loving You, Baby.