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

PRYSOCK, Arthur 'Red'

(b 2 Jan. '29, Spartanburg SC; d 21 June '97, Bermuda; obits said he was 74) Deep baritone jazz and blues singer, compared to Billy Eckstine but successful in his own right. First R&B hits with Buddy Johnson blues band in '40s on Decca; after top ten 'Because' with Johnson '50 Prysock went solo on that label and scored with 'I Didn't Sleep A Wink Last Night' '52. Recorded for Verve, King, then more hits on Sam and Hy Weiss's Old Town label (sold to MGM, later Polydor, then Universal), including top 10 R&B 'When Love Is New' '76. There was also a Billboard chart album Arthur Prysock/Count Basie '66; he was known for romantic ballads like Ray Noble's 'The Very Thought Of You', but also covered Roy Brown's 'Good Rockin' Tonight', etc. After a period of neglect, suddenly there were fine albums A Rockin' Good Way '85, This Guy's In Love With You '86 and Today's Love Songs, Tomorrow's Blues '87-8 on Milestone, and reissues on Verve: Best Of, This Is My Beloved and Prysock And Basie; there was also a two-disc Best Of on Polydor.

Arthur Prysock was always popular in clubs, often working with his brother, saxophonist Wilbert 'Red' Prysock. Red d 19 July '93 aged 67; he'd played on Tiny Bradshaw hits 'Soft' and 'Heavy Juice' '53 on Mercury, went solo for instrumental juke-box hits on that label '55-6 including 'Hand Clappin' '. Buddy Johnson, mentioned above, was b Woodrow Wilson Johnson, 10 Jan. '15, Darlington SC; d 9 Feb. '77 of a brain tumor; R&B hits '49-56 included top fives '43-6 ('They All Say I'm The Biggest Fool' had Arthur singing); later hits such as 'Hittin' On Me' and 'I'm Just Your Fool' featured vocals by his sister Ella Johnson (d 16 Feb. 2004 aged 86).