James Thomas Ramey (August 17, 1944 – October 28, 1970), better known as Baby Huey, was an American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

singer. He was the frontman for the band

Baby Huey & the Babysitters Baby Huey & the Babysitters was an American band formed in Gary, Indiana. The band, founded in 1963, was the idea of organist / trumpeter Melvyn Jones and guitarist Johnny Ross. James Ramey was their front man, and he adopted the stage name of " ...

, whose sole LP for

Curtom Records Curtom Records was a record label started in 1968 by Curtis Mayfield and Impressions manager Eddie Thomas. The label's name was a combination of Mayfield's first name and Thomas' last name. Mayfield had previously made attempts at a record lab ...

in 1971 was influential in the development of hip hop music.

Life and career

A native of

Richmond, Indiana Richmond is a city in eastern Wayne County, Indiana. Bordering the state of Ohio, it is the county seat of Wayne County and is part of the Dayton, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 36,812. Situa ...

, James was the son of Robert and Ernestine Ramey. He moved to

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, at the age of nineteen, and worked with several local bands as a singer. When he was still in high school, he worked with his first; the Vets. Due to a glandular disorder, Ramey weighed about 350 pounds (160 kg) around this time. His size contributed to his stage presence, but also to health problems. Nevertheless, he made light of his condition, adopting the stage name "Baby Huey" after

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

' giant duckling cartoon character of the same name. In 1963, Ramey, organist/trumpeter Melvyn "Deacon" Jones, and guitarist

Johnny Ross Johnny Ross (May 28, 1942 – February 9, 2006) was an American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and founding member of Baby Huey & the Babysitters, who died in 2006 as a result of appendicitis. He also hosted his own cable television s ...

founded a band called

, which became a popular local act and released several 45 RPM singles. The four songs, "Beg Me", "Monkey Man", "Messin' with the Kid" and "Just Being Careful" were spread over various single releases. During the late-1960s, the band followed the lead of

Sly & the Family Stone Sly and the Family Stone was an American band from San Francisco. Active from 1966 to 1983, it was pivotal in the development of funk, soul, rock, and psychedelic music. Its core line-up was led by singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi-i ...

and became a

psychedelic soul Psychedelic soul (originally called black rock or conflated with psychedelic funk) is a music genre that emerged in the late 1960s and saw Black soul musicians embrace elements of psychedelic rock, including its production techniques, instrumenta ...

act. Huey began wearing an

Afro The afro is a hair type created by natural growth of kinky hair, or specifically styled with chemical curling products by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.Garland, Phyl"Is The Afro On Its Way Out?" ''Ebony'', February 1973. ...

and donned psychedelic African-inspired robes, and adding sing-song, self-referential rhymes to his live performances. According to his bandmates, Ramey's rhymes were very similar in style to those later popularized by

rappers Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

in hip-hop music. The Babysitters were a popular live act, but never took the time out to record an album. They toured widely in the US, and were seen by a member of the

Rothschild family The Rothschild family ( , ) is a wealthy Ashkenazi Jewish family originally from Frankfurt that rose to prominence with Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812), a court factor to the German Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel in the Free City of F ...

, who flew the band to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, France, to play at a family ball. The band's appearances in clubs there led in turn to a feature in ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

'' magazine.Peter Burns, Liner notes to ''The Baby Huey Story'' CD, Sequel Records, 1999 In early 1969, the band's agent Marv Heiman secured them an audition with

arranger

Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and arranger whom ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto", "This Christmas ...

. Heiman states that Hathaway came by the Thumbs Up club and was very impressed by the act, and got Curtom Records head

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

to come the following night. Mayfield wanted to sign Baby Huey, but not the band. Although the band participated in the recording of Ramey's debut album, there were feelings of unease among them, and Jones quit the band during the recording. It is also likely that Ross had quit some time before. By 1970, Ramey had developed an addiction to heroin, and his weight had increased to over . He began regularly missing gigs or turning up late, and, at the insistence of his bandmates, briefly entered

rehabilitation Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to: Health * Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished * Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...

in the spring of 1970. In addition to the heroin problem, Ramey was also drinking. Melvyn Jones had described in his book that once while pouring his breakfast cereal, Ramey's drug kit fell out of the box.

Death

On October 28, 1970, Ramey died of a drug-related

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

at the age of twenty-six in a Chicago motel room. His funeral was held on November 1, in his native Richmond, Indiana, and he was buried there in Glen Havens Memorial Gardens.

Legacy

Baby Huey's album, '' The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend'', was released posthumously. Produced by

, the album featured several Mayfield compositions, as well as a cover of

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 ...

's " A Change Is Gonna Come" and two original compositions by Ramey. The album did not sell well upon its initial release and was largely forgotten by the mainstream. Today, the album is considered a classic of its period. On October 7, 1971, '' Jet'' magazine ran a small piece claiming his mother was granted authorization to audit the records of two recording firms, including Curtom Records. The order also permitted her to evaluate an undetermined estate left by him. According to Chicago attorney Vernon M. Rhinehart, Ramey had a salary of $3,500 per week.Garage Hangove
Jet Magazine October 7, 1971, Page 52
/ref> Several songs from ''The Baby Huey Story'', including "Hard Times," "Listen to Me," and "Mighty Mighty Children," have been frequently sampled by hip hop producers since the 1980s. "Hard Times" alone has been sampled by dozens of artists, including

Chill Rob G Robert Frazier (born May 15), known professionally as Chill Rob G, is an American hip hop artist from Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. Career Chill Rob G's first hip hop collaboration was being part of the original version of the Flavo ...

("Ride The Rhythm", ''

Ride the Rhythm ''Ride the Rhythm'' is the only album released on Wild Pitch Records by hip hop artist Chill Rob G. It contains four popular singles that are still regarded as classic hip hop by many, such as; "Let Me Show You", "Court Is Now in Session", "Let ...

(1989)''),

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("The Birth", ''

Death Certificate A death certificate is either a legal document issued by a medical practitioner which states when a person died, or a document issued by a government civil registration office, that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death, as ...

''),

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

("Can I Kick It? (Spirit Mix)", ''

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm ''People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released on April 10, 1990 on Jive Records. After forming the Native Tongues collective and collaborating on sever ...

''),

Ghostface Killah Dennis Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 C ...

("Buck 50", ''

Supreme Clientele ''Supreme Clientele'' is the second studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah, released on February 8, 2000 by Epic Records. The album showcases Ghostface's signature up-tempo, stream-of-consciousness rhyme style, an ...

''),

Biz Markie Marcel Theo Hall (April 8, 1964 – July 16, 2021), known professionally as Biz Markie, was an American rapper, singer, songwriter, DJ, and record producer. Markie was best known for his 1989 single "Just a Friend", which became a Top 40 hit in ...

("The Dragon", ''

The Biz Never Sleeps ''The Biz Never Sleeps'' is the second studio album by Biz Markie. It was released on October 10, 1989, on Cold Chillin'/Warner Bros. Records and was produced by Biz, his cousin Cool V and producer Paul C, instead of Cold Chillin' in-house produ ...

''), and others.

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Ever ...

and

The Roots The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...

covered "Hard Times" for their 2010 album '' Wake Up!''. Many people, including the Babysitters themselves, see ''The Baby Huey Story'' as a significant and important influence on hip-hop music. "Listen to Me" was featured as a rap backing track in two episodes of the 2016 Netflix series ''

The Get Down ''The Get Down'' is an American musical drama television series created by Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis. The series debuted on Netflix on August 12, 2016, and was cancelled after the first season. Produced by Sony Pictures Television, t ...

''. The 2020 Netflix true-crime documentary '' Fear City: New York vs The Mafia'', the 2011 film ''

The Lincoln Lawyer ''The Lincoln Lawyer'' is a 2005 novel, the 16th by American crime writer Michael Connelly. It introduces Los Angeles attorney Mickey Haller, half-brother of Connelly's mainstay character Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. It was adapted as ...

'', and the 2019 Swedish

HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...

series, ''

Beforeigners ''Beforeigners'' is a Norwegian television series that premiered on 21 August 2019. The show was created and written by Eilif Skodvin and Anne Bjørnstad, and directed by Jens Lien. Produced by Rubicon TV AS for HBO Nordic, it is the first Norwe ...

'', also use "Hard Times" as the opening theme. ''The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend'' is the only available release by Baby Huey. Several singles, including "Beg Me," "Monkey Man," "Messin' with the Kid," and "Just Being Careful" are not included. "Listen to Me" and "Hard Times" feature on the soundtrack of the film '' I Believe in Miracles''.

Discography

Albums

* '' The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend'' (1971)

Singles

* "Mighty Mighty Children" (Curtom CR 1969) * "Listen to Me" (Curtom CR 1962)

Compilations

*"Hard Times" on '' Shaolin Soul'' *"Listen to Me" on ''Kurtis Blow Presents the History of Rap, Vol. 1: The Genesis'' (1997, Rhino Records).

References

External links

Tribute page at Garage Hangover
* Mehr, Bob.
Born Again
. ''Chicago Reader'' (Dec. 16, 2004). * {{DEFAULTSORT:Huey, Baby (singer) 1944 births 1970 deaths 20th-century American singers 20th-century African-American male singers American funk singers American soul singers Drug-related deaths in Illinois Musicians from Richmond, Indiana Singers from Chicago 20th-century American male singers