Curley Bridges
| Curley Bridges | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Curley Wilson Bridges |
| Born |
February 7, 1934 Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, United States |
| Died | November 27, 2014 (aged 80) Barrie, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Electric blues, rock and roll, rhythm and blues |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, pianist, organist |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano, organ |
| Years active | 1950s–2014 |
| Labels | Electro-Fi Records |
Curley Wilson Bridges (February 7, 1934 – November 27, 2014) was an American electric blues, rock-and-roll, and rhythm-and-blues singer, pianist and songwriter.
Bridges was born in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. His father, who befriended Fats Waller, was a farmer and part-time musician, and his mother, Ophelia, played the organ at their church. Bridges saw Joe Turner and Louis Jordan performing in nearby Raleigh, North Carolina, giving him early inspiration, and he sang at church. Following his conscription into the U.S. Army at the age of 19, Bridges heard Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson and Piano Red playing the piano and was determined to master the instrument. After leaving the army on medical grounds, Bridges moved back to Washington, D.C., his home since childhood, and worked as a cook.
Bridges often lingered backstage at the Howard Theatre, where he met and befriended Billie Holiday. In 1953, he and the trumpet player Frank Motley, Jr., formed the Motley Crew. Bridges performed with this group until 1966; he was the lead vocalist and played the piano and, on occasion, the trombone or drums. In 1954, they recorded an upbeat version of the song "Hound Dog", which was renamed "New Hound Dog" and issued by Big Town Records, billed as by Frank "Dual Trumpeter" Motley & His Crew (with vocal by Curley Bridges) (Big Town 116). The track was arranged by Bridges. Several singles followed, including "A Prayer of Love" (1961), "Are You Satisfied" (1964), "Crying All Alone," "Honey Hush," "Tennessee Waltz," "Everybody Wants a Flattop," "Any Other Way," and "Rock and Roll Gotta Beat," which were issued on various American and Canadian record labels. The outfit played across North America over the years, including taking part in a United Service Organizations (USO Show) in 1959. In 1961, Bridges received a royalty check for $62.20, which he claimed to be the only royalty payment he received until the turn of the millennium. The following year Bridges and Motley contributed to Jerry Lee Lewis's album Rockin' with Jerry Lee Lewis.
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