Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

GONZALES, Babs

(b Lee Brown, 27 Oct. '19, Newark NJ; d 23 Jan. '80). Vocalist. He and his brothers were all called Babs; he sang in clubs; wore turban in Hollywood late '40s, calling himself Ram Singh; worked as chauffeur for Errol Flynn; called himself Ricardo Gonzales (Mexican rather than 'Negro') so as to get a room in a good hotel. Organized vocal group Three Bips and a Bop with Tadd Dameron on piano '46--8, wrote and recorded 'Oop-Pop-A-Da' for Blue Note (covered by Dizzy Gillespie); recorded for Capitol c'50 when that label was flirting with bop; vocalist, road manager with James Moody from '51; recorded with Jimmy Smith, Johnny Griffin, Bennie Green (Soul Stirrin' '58 on Blue Note); performed at Ronnie Scott's club in London as early as '62, one of the first Americans to play there. A hard-working promoter of jazz, he also published autobiographies I Paid My Dues -- Good Times, No Bread '67, Movin' On Down De Line '75.