Esquerita
| Esquerita | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Eskew Reeder, Jr. |
| Also known as |
|
| Born |
November 20, 1935 or 1938 Greenville, South Carolina, United States |
| Died | October 23, 1986 (aged 50) Harlem, New York, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, pianist |
| Instruments | Piano |
Eskew Reeder, Jr. (November 20, 1935or 1938 – October 23, 1986), usually known by the stage name Esquerita, and occasionally as S.Q. Reeder or The Magnificent Malochi, was an American R&B singer, songwriter and pianist, known for his frenetic performances. He has been credited with influencing rock and roll pioneer Little Richard.
A native of Greenville, South Carolina, he was the son of Elizabeth and Eskew Reeder, and attended Sterling High School in Greenville from 1947 to 1950. Though most sources give his birth name as Eskew Reeder, Jr., some give the name Stephen Quincy Reeder.
Reeder was a self-taught piano player whose roots were in gospel music. His music career started as a teenager, when he dropped out of high school and joined the gospel group "Heavenly Echoes" based in New York City. Little is known about Reeder's early career as a secular rock and roll piano player. As Esquerita, he often wore heavy makeup, sunglasses, and two wigs, piling his pompadour high on his head. It is speculated that Reeder was an influence on Little Richard (Richard Penniman); his look and style were in a similar vein, although Esquerita was much more flamboyant in the 1950s and his music played more wildly than the contemporary music of Little Richard. Reeder did not record until after Little Richard's initial early 1950s recordings for the RCA and Peacock labels and the later hits on Specialty. However, early Little Richard recordings made at WGST Radio Station in Atlanta do not show the style that was to make him famous. According to Richard, Esquerita did influence him and taught him to play the piano. In an interview segment of the South Bank Show documentary in 1988 when the book The Quasar Of Rock was published, Richard states that he saw Esquerita getting off a bus at the Macon, GA Greyhound bus station, but doesn't say which year, presumably in the early 50's. There's a hint of a homosexual connection between the two, but Richard also states that he was inspired by Reeder, and moreover Reeder was inspired by Richard to go into show business.
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