| Baby Huey (& the
Babysitters) |
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
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