Arthur Lee "Georgia Boy" Simpkins (1907–1972) was an American singer. Originally from

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, where he became known as the "Black Caruso" in reference to the opera singer

Enrico Caruso Enrico Caruso (, , ; 25 February 1873 – 2 August 1921) was an Italian operatic first lyrical tenor then dramatic tenor. He sang to great acclaim at the major opera houses of Europe and the Americas, appearing in a wide variety of roles (74) ...

, Simpkins performed in

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...

, with his group Night Hawks. First gaining popularity in Chicago under the moniker "Georgia Boy", Simpkins performed a wide variety of music ranging from classic standards to operatic renditions, being able to perform not only many different genres but in many different languages. In 1936, he recorded "

Sing, Sing, Sing (with a Swing) "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" is a 1936 song, with music and lyrics by Louis Prima, who first recorded it with the New Orleans Gang. Brunswick Records released it on February 28, 1936 on the 78rpm record format, with "It's Been So Long" as th ...

" with Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra. He sang at the 1964 memorial for

Sam Cooke Samuel Cook (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964), known professionally as Sam Cooke, was an American singer and songwriter. Considered to be a pioneer and one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred ...

. Simpkins appeared on television regularly as a vocalist and performer, particularly on the series ''

You Asked For It ''You Asked for It'' is a human interest television show created and hosted by Art Baker. Initially titled ''The Art Baker Show'', the program originally aired on American television between 1950 and 1959. Later versions of the series were see ...

''. Although Simpkins made many recordings, he fared better on the performing circuit in areas like

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

until his untimely death following a bladder operation. The once-famous Simpkins died in relative obscurity, leaving a widow Aurora.

References

1907 births 1972 deaths 20th-century African-American male singers People from South Carolina 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers {{US-singer-stub