Paul Gayten

• Born: January 29, 1920, New Orleans, LA
• Died: March 26, 1991, Los Angeles, CA
• Active: '40s, '50s
• Genres: Rock
• Instrument: Piano
• Representative Albums: "Chess King of New Orleans/The Chess Years," "Creole Gal"

Biography

Paul Gayten, a seminal figure in New Orleans rhythm & blues, led a varied career in the music business as a bandleader, producer, label owner, and one-time overseer of the West Coast operation of Chess Records. A nephew of blues-piano legend Little Brother Montgomery, Gayten once led one of the top bands of New Orleans, but he gave up the performing life in 1956 to turn his attention to production and eventually to his own California-based Pzazz label (which featured Louis Jordan, among others). Gayten wrote Larry Darnell's 1949 classic "For You My Love" and recorded a few Top Ten hits of his own for Regal and DeLuxe (1947-1950), some of them with vocalist Annie Laurie. ~ Jim O'Neal, All Music Guide