Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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GAYTEN, Paul

(b 29 Jan. '20, Kentwood LA; d c May '91) R&B pianist, vocalist, bandleader '50s. His uncle was Little Brother Montgomery. He played in touring Don Dunbar band '30s, based in Jackson MS, probably in local Southland Troubadours '40; led various combos in clubs from mid-'40s; vocalist Annie Laurie (admired by Dinah Washington) shared credit on no. 8 R&B hit 'I'll Never Be Free' '50; he wrote 'For You My Love', no. 1 R&B hit for Larry Darnell, no. 12 for Nat Cole/Nellie Lutcher duet '49--50. He backed Boston quintet the Tune Weavers on ballad 'Happy, Happy Birthday Baby', no. 3 R&B, no. 5 pop '57; Clarence 'Frogman' Henry on 'Ain't Got No Home' (no. 3 R&B, no. 20 pop hit '56) (co-writing credit for 'Troubles, Troubles' on flip side); backed R&B singer Oscar Wills (b 10 Feb. '16, Houston TX; d in car crash 21 Oct. '69, Kingman AZ) on his 'Flatfoot Sam' '57, humorous slice of life in ghetto. Flip side of that was 'Nervous Boogie', an instrumental cut using leftover studio time; it made the Billboard Hot 100 as did similar 'Windy', 'The Hunch' '58--9, Gayten's only pop hits, with riffing saxes, rolling New Orleans piano, rocking solos by tenor saxophonist Lee Allen (who wrote and recorded 'Walkin' With Mr Lee' while a Gayten sideman): like Dave Bartholomew, Gayten had infl. through the New Orleans studio scene to the mainstream as A&R man for Chess. Moved to West Coast and had own Pzazz label. Chess King Of New Orleans '89 was a nice compilation on Chess, albeit only twelve tracks; there was a two-CD set of his studio work on EMI in a 'Legends of Rock'n'Roll' series that was much better value.