Ivory joe hunter biography of barack

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He regularly charted in the R&B Top 10 with songs like “Landlord Blues” and “I Need You So.” His biggest hit, “I Almost Lost My Mind,” reached No. 1 on the R&B charts and became a bestseller in both England and Europe. and I said 'I will,'... In 1943, he released his first record, “Blues at Sunrise,” on his own Oakland-based Ivory Records—one of the earliest Black-owned recording studios.

"They were both sweet balladeers leaning towards country singing---Ivory Joe a touch more than Chuck. and he said he was going to hold me to it." James's version paled next to the version Jerry Lee Lewis cut for Smash Records that same year, but both renditions encouraged Hunter to follow Lewis and other rock pioneers into the country field.

Hunter had his radio show on KFDM in Beaumont, TX, in the early 1940s and eventually became program manager. At thirteen, Hunter began learning piano mostly by ear until his godmother arranged for formal lessons. After losing both parents while still young, he lived with various relatives. Although his momentum slowed and MGM did not renew his contract, he returned to the Top 10 in the mid-1950s with Atlantic Records and the hit “Since I Met You Baby,” earning a gold record presented on The Ed Sullivan Show.

In the 1950s, white artists frequently made covers of good R&B records; Pat Boone covered Joe's smash R&B hit from 1950, "I Almost Lost My Mind," and had a number-one hit with it in 1956. He started his label, Ivory, and recorded his first song there, his composition, "Blues At Sunrise," which became a regional hit.

In 1942, Hunter moved to the West Coast, where he started Pacific Records.

"They were both sweet balladeers leaning towards country singing---Ivory Joe a touch more than Chuck. Some estimate that he wrote more than 7,000 songs. Subsequently, he quit school and helped support his family with his music.

Hunter built up his professional skills playing at small bars in and around Galveston and Port Arthur. Securing a regular spot on the Grand Ole Opry, where he earned the respect of such icons as George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Hunter was able to cut an album whose title proclaimed his new approach, titled I've Always Been Country (1974).

Although the label was short-lived, the song was a regional success.

The song would be revived by Pat Boone as a number one pop song in 1956, and was covered by dozens of artists during the ensuing decades.