Dave "Baby" Cortez
| Dave "Baby" Cortez | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | David Cortez Clowney |
| Born |
August 13, 1938 Detroit, Michigan |
| Genres | Pop, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Organist, pianist |
| Instruments | Piano, organ |
David Cortez Clowney, known by the stage name Dave "Baby" Cortez (born August 13, 1938), is an American pop and R&B organist and pianist, best known for his 1959 hit, "The Happy Organ".
Clowney was born in Detroit, Michigan, and attended Northwestern High School in the city. His father played the piano, and encouraged him to pursue a musical career. Clowney played the piano for 10 years, then he took up the organ. He made his first record in 1956 under his own name, and also sang with two doo-wop groups, the Pearls and the Valentines, in the mid-1950s. He scored his first major success in 1959, using the stage name Dave "Baby" Cortez. His instrumental, "The Happy Organ", was the first pop/rock hit to feature the electronic organ as lead instrument; it featured drummer Gary Hammond and was co-written by noted celebrity photographer James J. Kriegsmann and frequent collaborator Kurt Wood. The guitar solo is by session musician Wild Jimmy Spruill. The 45 rpm single was the first instrumental No. 1 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart. The original 45 rpm single was released on the independent Clock Records label but the LP which featured it was released by RCA Victor by arrangement with Clock.
...
Wikipedia