Publicity photo by Michael P. Smith, 1978, Hogan Jazz Archive, Tulane University
He is remembered as a Rock & Roll pioneer and the patriarch of New Orleans rhythm & blues piano. Henry Roeland “Roy” Byrd was born in Bogalusa in 1918. As a teenager, he danced on Bourbon Street for tips. Then, he found an abandoned piano that was a missing a few keys. He took it home and taught himself to play. In his 20s, he was hired at a club to play while the regular band was on break. He and his band had long hair and were quickly named “Professor Longhair and the Four Hairs.” Ultimately, the name “Fess” stuck.
Professor Longhair is remembered for his unique style of playing that involved dropping or adding beats at will. He incorporated Afro-Caribbean influences, combining elements of rock, R&B, funk, and reggae. In his own way, Fess invented a new style of music unique to New Orleans.
In 1977, a group of fans and promoters in New Orleans helped Byrd buy an old warehouse to convert into a nightclub. He named it Tipitina's, after one of his songs. Today, Tipitina's is one of the premier music clubs. Professor Longhair’s portrait is displayed proudly above the stage.
For more on Professor Longhair, check out the following links:
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1992
Up from the Cradle of Jazz by
Prologue: music and memory / by Jason Berry -- Origins of New Orleans rhythm-and-blues -- The flush years, 1954-1963 -- Struggling out of the Sixties -- The Caribbean connection -- Epilogue: a cultural awakening-- unto hurricane Katrina.
Musical Gumbo by
"Start the pot simmering with jazz and delta blues. Season with spicy dollops of zydeco, cajun, and gospel. Then bring to a rolling boil with soul, rhythm and blues, and rock 'n' roll. It's a recipe for musical delight that could only be cooked up in New Orleans, the Big Easy." "A perennial source of innovation and hits since the beginning of the century, the music of New Orleans has enjoyed even greater popular success over the last decade. This authoritative, and rollicking, account is the first comprehensive guide to both the music and the hard-living, free-spirited musicians who made, and make, the music. Here are Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton laying down the foundations of jazz, Clifton Chenier and Buckwheat Zydeco fueling the resurgence of cajun music, Fats Domino and Allen Toussaint creating the breakthrough hits that set the pattern for rock 'n' roll, Dr. John's and the Neville Brothers' freewheeling passage through the '60s, '70s, and '80s, and the return of sophisticated jazz with Harry Connick, Jr., and the Marsalis family. It's all topped off with a guide to nightclubs and the New Orleans Jazz Fest, and a discography of essential CDs."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Bluesland by