Results for Baby Huey
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Artist:

Baby Huey

Born:
1944 in Richmond, Indiana

Died:
Oct 28, 1970 in Chicago

  • Birth Name: James Ramey
  • Genre: Rhythm & Blues
  • Active: '60s, '70s
  • Instrument: Vocals
  • Representative Album: "The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend"

Biography

A locally beloved figure on the Chicago soul scene, Baby Huey never achieved quite the same renown outside of his hometown, despite an exciting live act and a record on Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label. Born James Ramey in Richmond, IN, in 1944, Baby Huey was literally an enormous stage presence: a glandular problem kept his weight around 350-400 pounds and beyond. He began performing in Chicago clubs in 1963 with his backing band the Babysitters and soon became a popular concert draw. As the '60s wore on, Baby Huey's sound moved from energetic R&B into a more psychedelic brand of soul, with a vocal style that drew comparisons to Otis Redding. He signed with Curtom and recorded a debut album, The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend, that featured several Curtis Mayfield songs (most notably the oft-sampled "Hard Times" and "Mighty Mighty Children"), plus a cover of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come." Sadly, Baby Huey didn't live to see it released; his weight and substance-abuse problems were exacting a steep toll on his body, and on October 28, 1970, he suffered a drug-related heart attack in a hotel room in Chicago. The album was released early the next year, and the Babysitters attempted to carry on for a while with a new lead singer, the still-teenaged Chaka Khan (she would, of course, go on to fame as the frontwoman of funk band Rufus shortly thereafter). In the years since, Baby Huey's lone LP has become a sought-after collectible among soul fanatics. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Representative Songs:

"Hard Times," "Listen to Me," "A Change Is Gonna Come"

Similar Artists:

Willie Hutch, Chaka Khan, Don Covay, Joe Tex, Edwin Starr, Joe Simon, Wilson Pickett, Billy Paul, The Impressions, Gene Chandler, Clarence Carter

Influences:

Otis Redding, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, James Brown
 
 
Wikipedia: Baby Huey (singer)
Baby Huey (& the Babysitters)
James Ramey pictured on the cover of his only album, The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend
James Ramey pictured on the cover of his only album, The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend
Background information
Origin Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genre(s) Funk/R&B/soul/rock
Years active 1963 – 1970
Label(s) Curtom
Members
James "Baby Huey" Raney
Johnny Ross
Melvin "Deacon" Jones

Baby Huey (born James Ramey, January 1 1944 - October 28 1970) was an American rock and soul singer, born in Richmond, Indiana. He was the frontman for the band Baby Huey & The Babysitters, whose singular LP for Curtom Records in 1971 was influential in the development of hip hop music.

Biography

Early years

A native of Richmond, Indiana, James Ramey moved to Chicago, Illinois at the age of nineteen, and worked with several local bands as a singer. Due to a glandular disorder, Ramey was a large man, weighing about 350 pounds (160 kg). His size contributed to his stage presence, but also to health problems. Nevertheless, he made light of his condition, adopting the stage name "Baby Huey" after Paramount Pictures' giant duckling cartoon character of the same name. In 1963, Ramey, organist/trumpeter Melvin "Deacon" Jones, and guitarist Johnny Ross founded a band called Baby Huey & the Babysitters, which became a popular local act and released several 45 RPM singles, including "Beg Me", "Monkey Man", "Messin' with the Kid" and "Just Being Careful".

During the late-1960s, the band followed the lead of Sly & the Family Stone and became a psychedelic soul act. Huey began wearing an Afro and donned psychedelic African-inspired robes, and adding sing-song, self-referential rhymes to his live performances. According to his bandmates, Ramey's rhymes were very similar in style to those later popularized by rappers in hip-hop music. The Babysitters were a popular live act, but never took the time out to record an album.

The Baby Huey Story and passing

In 1969, the band's agent Marv Heiman secured them an audition with Curtom Records arranger Donny Hathaway. Hathaway was impressed by the act, and got Curtom Records head Curtis Mayfield to sign Baby Huey, but not the band. Although the band participated in the recording of Ramey's debut album, there were feelings of unease among them, and Ross and Jones quit the band during the recording sessions.

By 1970, Ramey had developed an addiction to heroin, and his weight had increased to over 400 pounds. He began regularly missing gigs or turning up late, and, at the insistence of his bandmates, briefly entered rehabilitation in the spring of 1970. James Ramey died of a heart attack on October 28, 1970, at the age of 26, and was found in his hotel bathroom by his manager. His funeral was held on November 1, in his native Richmond, Indiana.

Baby Huey & the Babysitters' album, The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend, was released after the death of their lead singer. Produced by Curtis Mayfield, the album featured several Mayfield compositions, as well as a cover of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" and two original compositions by Ramey. The album did not sell well upon its original release, and was largely forgotten by the mainstream. Today, the album is considered a classic of its period.

Several songs from The Baby Huey Story, including "Hard Times", "Listen to Me", and "Mighty Mighty Children", have been frequently sampled by hip hop producers since the 1980s. "Hard Times" alone has been sampled by dozens of artists, including Ice Cube ("The Birth", Death Certificate), A Tribe Called Quest ("Can I Kick It?", People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm), Ghostface Killah ("Buck 50", Supreme Clientele), and others. Many people, including the Babysitters themselves, see The Baby Huey Story as a significant and important influence on hip hop music.

After Ramey's death, The Babysitters briefly employed a young Chaka Khan as their lead singer before disbanding. The members went their separate ways to work as instrumentalists in other bands, although they regularly participate in projects involving their past work with Baby Huey & the Babysitters.

Discography

Album

The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend — release history:

  • 1971, Curtom (LP) - original release
  • 1994, Unidisc (CD)
  • 1999, Sequel Records (CD)
  • 2004, Water (CD)

Compilation

  • "Listen to Me" on Kurtis Blow Presents the History of Rap, Vol. 1: The Genesis (1997, Rhino Records).

References

External links


Persondata
NAME Baby Huey
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ramey, James
SHORT DESCRIPTION
DATE OF BIRTH January 1 1944
PLACE OF BIRTH Richmond, Indiana, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH October 28 1970
PLACE OF DEATH Richmond, Indiana, U.S.

 
 

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Artist. Copyright © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ® , a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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