Arthur Prysock
| Arthur Prysock | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Arthur Prysock Jr. |
| Born |
January 1, 1924 Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States |
| Died | June 14, 1997 (aged 73) Hamilton, Bermuda |
| Genres | Jazz, R&B, easy listening, disco |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1944–1990 |
| Labels | Decca, Old Town, Verve |
Arthur Prysock Jr. (January 1, 1924 or 1929 – June 14, 1997) was an American jazz and R&B singer best known for his live shows and his baritone, influenced by Billy Eckstine. According to his New York Times obituary, "his heavy, deep voice projected a calm, reassuring virility."
Prysock was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Many sources give his birth year as 1929, but researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc state 1924 on the basis of official records. He moved to North Carolina as a young child, and then to Hartford, Connecticut to work in the aircraft industry during World War II, singing with small bands in the evenings. In 1944 bandleader Buddy Johnson signed him as a vocalist, and Prysock became a mainstay of the live performance circuits. Prysock sang on several of Johnson’s hits on Decca Records including "They All Say I'm the Biggest Fool" (1946), "Jet My Love" (1947) and "I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone" 1948), and later on Mercury Records ("Because", 1950).
In 1952 Prysock went solo. He signed with Decca, who marketed him as a younger rival to Billy Eckstine, and recorded the #5 R&B hit, "I Didn’t Sleep a Wink Last Night", with Sy Oliver's orchestra. Over the years Prysock gained a reputation as an emotive balladeer and as one of the most popular acts on the chitlin' circuit. He recorded R&B classics such as Roy Brown's "Good Rocking Tonight". In the 1960s, Prysock joined Old Town Records and did an R&B cover of Ray Noble's ballad "The Very Thought of You" (1960) and a pop hit "It’s Too Late Baby, It’s Too Late" (1965). For Verve Records he recorded Arthur Prysock and Count Basie (12, 13, 14, 20 and 21 December 1965, at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey), and A Working Man's Prayer (1968). He read verses from Walter Benton's book of poems against a jazz instrumental backdrop on his 1968 album, This is My Beloved. Between 1960 and 1988, he released over 30 LPs. He also briefly had his own television show in the 1960s.
...
Wikipedia