Lloyd Eugene Stallworth (April 15, 1941 – October 27, 2002), also known as Baby Lloyd, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, choreographer and dancer
V M Soul website. Accessed November 23, 2012."Baby Lloyd."
Sir Shambling website 2012. who was a member of the R&B vocal group

The Famous Flames The Famous Flames were an American Rhythm and blues, Soul vocal group founded in Toccoa, Georgia, in 1953 by Bobby Byrd. James Brown first began his career as a member of the Famous Flames, emerging as the lead singer by the time of their first ...

on King Records from 1958 to 1967. Stallworth was posthumously inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

in 2012 as a member of ''The Famous Flames''.

Biography

Stallworth was born in

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

, in 1941. In 1957, he was employed by

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

as his valet and part-time driver. Stallworth's mother arranged the job in order to keep her son 'out of trouble'.

The Famous Flames

In 1957, when Stallworth was sixteen, ''James Brown and the Famous Flames'' was breaking up;

Bobby Byrd Bobby Howard Byrd (August 15, 1934 – September 12, 2007) was an American rhythm and blues, soul and funk singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, bandleader and talent scout, who played an integral and important part in the development ...

(founder), Sylvester Keels, NaFloyd Scott, Nash Knox, and Johnny Terry had left because the group's managers, Clint Brantley and Ben Bart, gave James Brown top billing. Over the next few months, several members came and went, including Willie Johnson, Big Bill Hollings, J. W. Archer and Louis Madison. These men, after departing the group, went on to form a San Francisco-based splinter group, ''The Fabulous Flames''. Members of this interim ''Famous Flames'' singing group claimed they had left because Brown refused to pay them. Brown said they were asked to leave because of alcohol and drug use while touring. By this time, with the departure of original group leader/founder Bobby Byrd, Brown had taken full control of ''The Famous Flames''. In 1958, Stallworth was recruited as a replacement group member. He was nicknamed ''Baby Lloyd'' because he was the youngest member of the group. Bobby Bennett, along with original members Bobby Byrd and Johnny Terry also rejoined, and with James Brown, became the permanent ''Famous Flames'' lineup.

Performances

Stallworth sang with the group on several hit singles, including "

Bewildered "Bewildered" is a popular song written in 1936 by Teddy Powell and Leonard Whitcup. It was a 1938 hit for Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra. 1948 recordings The song was revived in the late 1940s when two different versions, by the Red Miller Trio an ...

", "Good Good Lovin'", "

This Old Heart "This Old Heart" is a song written by James Brown and recorded by Brown and The Famous Flames. Although they performed it in a rhythm and blues style, it originated as a country song. Released as a single in 1960, it charted #20 R&B and #79 P ...

", " I Don't Mind", "

Think In their most common sense, the terms thought and thinking refer to conscious cognitive processes that can happen independently of sensory stimulation. Their most paradigmatic forms are judging, reasoning, concept formation, problem solving, an ...

", " I'll Go Crazy", " Three Hearts in a Tangle", and "

Oh Baby Don't You Weep "Oh Baby Don't You Weep" is a song recorded in 1964 by James Brown and The Famous Flames. Based upon the spiritual "Mary Don't You Weep", it was recorded as an extended-length track and released as the first two-part single of Brown's recordin ...

" and co-wrote Brown's 1961 hit, "

Lost Someone "Lost Someone" is a song recorded by James Brown in 1961. It was written by Brown and Famous Flames members Bobby Byrd and Baby Lloyd Stallworth. Like "Please, Please, Please" before it, the song's lyrics combine a lament for lost love with a pl ...

". He recorded several albums with the group, including the million-selling Top 10 album "Live at The Apollo" (1963). This album was incorrectly marketed by King Records as a "James Brown" album, when, in reality, it was an album by ''James Brown & The Famous Flames'' . It was not until the release of the CD, however, that The Famous Flames were credited for their work on the album. Other albums included ''

Pure Dynamite! Live at the Royal ''Pure Dynamite! Live At The Royal'' is a 1964 live album by James Brown and The Famous Flames. Originally issued on King Records, it was the live follow-up to Brown's 1963 '' Live at the Apollo'' LP, and like that album, reached the Top 10 ...

'' (another Billboard Top 10 success), ''Think'', ''

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

'', and ''James Brown and The Famous Flames Live at the Garden''. Stallworth performed solo spots in Brown's revue as an opening act and recorded a couple of Brown-produced solo songs. As an artist in his own right, Stallworth released just a handful of singles: "I Need You" for Dade/Atco Records (1960) and " There's Something on Your Mind" for

Loma Records Loma Records was an American subsidiary record label of Warner Bros. Records managed by Bob Krasnow, then later Russ Regan. Its name was derived from Eloma, a cleared copyright Warner owned. History In March 1964, Warner Bros. president Mike Mai ...

(2014). He also recorded a single for the small Hollywood-based "Wolfie" label, entitled "I Refuse To Cry" (W-101) and made an appearance on the

Smash Records Smash Records was an American record label founded in 1961 as a subsidiary of Mercury Records by Mercury executive Shelby Singleton and run by Singleton with Charlie Fach. Fach took over after Singleton left Mercury in 1966. Its recording artist ...

live album, ''Presenting...The James Brown Show'' (SRS-67087-1967) where he, along with several James Brown Revue artists, including

Vicki Anderson Vicki Anderson (born Myra Barnes; November 21, 1939) is an American soul singer best known for her performances with the James Brown Revue. She recorded a number of singles under both her birth and stage names. She is the widow of Bobby Byrd a ...

, sang two songs. One of them was "

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. A product of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' songwriting partnership, it features a guitar riff by Richards that opens and drives the song. The riff ...

". Stallworth appeared with James Brown and The Famous Flames in the 1964

American International Pictures American International Pictures (AIP) is an American motion picture production label of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution company known for producing and releasing fi ...

concert film ''

The T.A.M.I. Show ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', recorded live at the

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Santa Monica Civic Auditorium is a multi-purpose convention center at 1855 Main Street in Santa Monica, California, owned by the City of Santa Monica. It was built in 1958 and designed by Welton Becket and as a concert venue, it has a seating cap ...

, where they upstaged headliners

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

. He also appeared with the group in the

Frankie Avalon Francis Thomas Avallone (born September 18, 1940), better known as Frankie Avalon, is an American actor, singer, and former teen idol. He had 31 charting U.S. ''Billboard'' singles from 1958 to late 1962, including number one hits, "Venus" an ...

film, ''

Ski Party ''Ski Party'' is a 1965 American musical-comedy film directed by Alan Rafkin and starring Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman. It was released by American International Pictures (AIP). ''Ski Party'' is considered as a beach party film spin-off, wi ...

'' (1965), and on a 1966 telecast of ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...

'' on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

. In 1966, James Brown made two appearances on ''

'', both with The Famous Flames. Stallworth was with the group on the first appearance (May 1, 1966), but he left the group before the second (October 30, 1966). Only Brown was given billing or payment (the group members were salaried) and this caused discord within the group."The Famous Flames."
Cleveland.com website April 2012."Bobby Bennett."
Goldmine magazine website blog. In 2012, in an interview published in '' Goldmine'', Bobby Bennett said, :"Ed Sullivan couldn't believe what he was seeing, but we never got paid...James Brown took all that money." and :"Every time one of the Flames left, it was on account of money. (Brown) didn't want to pay the money that was supposed to be paid to us. He stiffed the heck out of us man. (Brown's family), now they're fighting over our (the Flames') money. We got money out there and still can't receive it. We're owed so much money, it ain't funny." and :"We never got paid for that film (''Ski Party''), and we filmed every day". By 1968, Byrd and Bennett had also left, effectively spelling the end of the Famous Flames. Byrd returned for a time, then left permanently in 1973. Brown's career continued successfully in the

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

genre. In 2012, on the eve of the group's 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Bobby Bennett, the last surviving member of the group, said in an interview with ''

The Cleveland Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday. As of Ma ...

'' newspaper, "Every time one of The Flames left, it was because of money. James wanted all of the money for himself, and we wanted to get paid our money".

Litigation

In 2002, along with band member Fred Wesley, Flames members Stallworth, Bobby Byrd, and Bobby Bennett retained Richard Yellen, an attorney, to begin legal proceedings against

for alleged non-payment of royalties. The lawsuit was filed in the New York state supreme court on October 31, 2002, and then in the Manhattan federal court. Baby Lloyd and Bobby Bennett sought $7 million, Byrd $5 million (and $2 million for his wife, singer Vicki (Anderson) Byrd) as royalties from the 1960s and 1970s. The lawsuit was dismissed because the statute of limitations had expired.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame controversy

In 1986, James Brown was inducted as one of the charter members of

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music an ...

without ''The Famous Flames''. This led to long lasting controversy over the following 27 years. In 2011, eleven years after Stallworth's death, five years after Bobby Byrd's death, and seven years after John Terry's death, Terry Stewart, the chief executive officer of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, formed a Special Committee to consider the bands and groups that had been eligible for induction, but were left out because of the impact of their lead singers or front men. Concerning the omission of the Flames when Brown was inducted alone in 1986, Stewart said, "There was no legislative intent

s to S, or s, is the nineteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ess'' (pronounced ), plural ''esses''. History ...

why they (the Famous Flames) weren't included; somehow, they just got overlooked." ''The Famous Flames'' (Byrd, Bennett, Terry and Stallworth) received their induction in Cleveland, on April 14, 2012. Bennett, who died the following year, (January 18, 2013), as the group's only surviving member, accepted the induction on behalf of ''The Famous Flames''. At the same time, ''

The Midnighters The Midnighters were an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan. They were an influential group in the 1950s and early 1960s, with many Rhythm and blues, R&B hit records. They were also notable for launching the career of lead singer Hank B ...

'' (

Hank Ballard Hank Ballard (born John Henry Kendricks; November 18, 1927 – March 2, 2003) was an American singer and songwriter, the lead vocalist of The Midnighters and one of the first rock and roll artists to emerge in the early 1950s. He played an inte ...

), ''The Comets'' (

Bill Haley William John Clifton Haley (; July 6, 1925 – February 9, 1981) was an American rock and roll musician. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early 1950s with his group Bill Haley & His Comets and million-sel ...

), ''

The Crickets The Crickets were an American rock and roll band from Lubbock, Texas, formed by singer-songwriter Buddy Holly in January 1957. Their first hit record, "That'll Be the Day", released in May 1957, peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, ...

'' (

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...

), ''The Blue Caps'' (

Gene Vincent Vincent Eugene Craddock (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971), known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rockabilly and rock and roll. His 1956 top ten hit with his backing band the Blue Caps, " Be-Bop-a-Lula ...

) and ''

The Miracles The Miracles (also known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and one of the most important and most influential groups ...

'' (

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...

), received their induction, Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson, who inducted all six groups, including his own Miracles, said, :"These people do not stand ''behind'' you. They stand ''with'' you." "These are ''not'' backing groups. These ''are'' the groups." and; :"If James Brown was the hardest working man in show business, ''The Famous Flames'' were the hardest working ''group''."

Legacy

King Records never put

' faces on any of their album covers (only Brown was pictured). This limited their future market potential. For a short time, after leaving ''The Famous Flames'', Stallworth took a position as a member of James Brown's clerical staff. Stallworth died in 2002, at the age of 61, from complications of diabetes. (Some sources report 2001 as his year of death). Choreographer Codie Wiggins played Famous Flame "Baby Lloyd" Stallworth (in an uncredited role) in the 2014 biopic, " Get on Up" that was released in theatres nationwide on August 1, 2014. In 2020, "Baby Lloyd" Stallworth was posthumously inducted with the rest of The Famous Flames' members

, Bobby Bennett, and

Johnny Terry Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females. Variant ...

into the

National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame The National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame is an independent organization whose mission is to educate and to celebrate, preserve, promote, and present rhythm and blues music globally. History The National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame was founded ...

, some seven years after the induction of Flames lead singer

into the same organization.https://www.facebook.com/201846143194483/photos/a.201874793191618/3364359496943116/?type=3&theater

References

External links

The Famous Flames on the ''Future Rock Hall website''

James Brown introduces The Famous Flames, including "Baby Lloyd" Stallworth, in a clip from the 1965 American International Pictures film, "Ski Party"
* * . {{DEFAULTSORT:Stallworth, Baby Lloyd The Famous Flames members 1941 births Musicians from Fort Lauderdale, Florida King Records artists American soul singers James Brown vocalists American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters African-American male dancers African-American dancers American male dancers American organists American male organists 2002 deaths 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers African-American male singers Singer-songwriters from Florida