June "Curley" Moore (1943 – December 14, 1985) was an American
R&B singer.
Biography
Moore was born in
in 1943. As a child he sang and danced for pennies on the streets of his neighborhood. He also sang in the New Hope Baptist Church choir. At age twelve he and his friends formed a group they named the Blue Jays, and competed at talent shows. Moore claimed
Frankie Lymon
Franklin Joseph Lymon (September 30, 1942 – February 27, 1968) was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of the New York City-based early rock and roll doo-wop group Th ...
and the Teenagers, as well as singing cowboy
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...
, as early motivators. Later in life he recognized
Gene Allison
Gene Allison (born Versie Eugene Allison; August 29, 1934 – February 28, 2004) was an American R&B singer.
Allison was born in Pegram, Tennessee, and he grew up in Nashville, Tennessee singing in the church choir with his brother Leevert. ...
,
Irma Thomas
Irma Thomas ( Lee; born February 18, 1941) is an American singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans".
Thomas is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but never experienced their level of commercial succ ...
,
Ernie K-Doe
Ernest Kador Jr. (February 22, 1933 – July 5, 2001), known by the stage name Ernie K-Doe, was an American rhythm-and-blues singer best known for his 1961 hit single "Mother-in-Law", which went to number 1 on the ''Billboard'' pop chart in the U ...
,
Shirley & Lee
Shirley & Lee were an American musical duo active during the 1950s and 1960s, consisting of Shirley Goodman and Leonard Lee. They had R&B hits with their songs "Feel So Good," " Let the Good Times Roll," and "I Feel Good."
Career
Shirley Goodm ...
and
Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer of the 1950s and 60s. He was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a mas ...
as influences.
He began his music career in
in 1960, as a vocalist with
Huey "Piano" Smith
Huey Pierce Smith, known as Huey "Piano" Smith (born January 26, 1934) is an American rhythm-and-blues pianist whose sound was influential in the development of rock and roll.
His piano playing incorporated the boogie-woogie styles of Pete John ...
's band The Clowns.
[ "Curley Moore, Ex-Clown, Dies In New Orleans", ''Wavelength'', February 1986, p.5]
/ref> Moore toured with Smith and The Clowns for three years before leaving to pursue a solo career.[
During the difficult period of the New Orleans music scenes in the mid 1960s, Moore had a brief stint on the road in the Midwest impersonating ]Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...
.[ His first solo recording "They Gonna Do What They Wanna Do" b/w "Tried So Hard" was for Teem Records in 1963. In 1965-66 Moore recorded for ]Nola Records
Nola Records was an American independent record label based in New Orleans.
Overview
The label was established in the summer of 1963 by composer and bandleader, Wardell Quezergue along with music producer Clint Scott and Ulis Gaines.[Earl King
Earl Silas Johnson IV (February 7, 1934 – April 17, 2003),]
and Wardell Quezergue
Wardell Joseph Quezergue ( ; March 12, 1930 – September 6, 2011) was an American composer, arranger, record producer and bandleader, known among New Orleans musicians as the "Creole Beethoven". Steeped in jazz, he was an influential musician who ...
, became a hit. He was nicknamed Curley “Soul Train” Moore.[ From 1966 through 1968 he recorded for ]Allen Toussaint
Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descri ...
and Marshall Sehorn Marshall Estus Sehorn (June 25, 1934 – December 5, 2006) was an American A&R man, songwriter, music publisher and entrepreneur who played an important role in the development of R&B and popular music in New Orleans between the 1950s and 1970 ...
at Sansu Records. Sansu issued three Curley Moore releases- “Get Low Down Pt. 1" b/w “Get Low Down Pt. 2", "Goodbye" b/w “We Remember”, and “Don’t Pity Me” b/w "You Don’t Mean".[
The 1970s was a period of struggle for Curley as New Orleans R&B and ]soul music
Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...
in general moved toward a harder funk sound and Moore struggled with drugs and gun related issues. An instrumental attempt at this harder sound yielded the 45 "Funky, Yeah" on the House of the Fox label, which became a cult classic for its hard driving heavy psychedelic sound. In 1979, Moore joined a reformed version of the Clowns with Huey "Piano" Smith at the 1979 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of visitors to New ...
.[
After serving prison time in the early 1980s, Moore's murdered body was found in ]Algiers, Louisiana
Algiers is a historic neighborhood of New Orleans and is the only Orleans Parish community located on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. Algiers is known as the 15th Ward, one of the 17 Wards of New Orleans. It was once home to many jazz mu ...
, in December 1985. He was 42 years old.[White, Cliff, "Sehorn's Soul Farm LP", Charley Records, London, England, Liner Notes, 1981][
]
Discography
Singles
*''They Gonna Do What They Wanna Do'' (A) Teem 1002 (1963)
*''Tried So Hard'' (B) Teem 1002 (1963)
*''At The Mardi Gras'' (A) (As Huey & Curley) Ace 671 (1964)
*''The Second Line'' (B) (as Huey & Curley) Ace 671 (1964)
*''Soul Train'' (A) Nola- 707 (1964)
*''Please Do Something For Me'' (B) Nola- 707 (1964)
*''Soul Train'' (A) Hot Line 901 (1965)
*''This Way I Do'' (B) Hot Line 901 (1965)
*''Get Low Down (Pt. 1)'' (A) Sansu 457 (1966)
*''Get Low Down (Pt. 2)'' (B) Sansu 457 (1966)
*''Goodbye'' (A) Sansu 468 (1967)
*''We Remember'' (B) Sansu 468 (1967)
*''Don’t Pity Me'' (A) Sansu 473 (1967)
*''You Don’t Mean'' (B) Sansu 473 (1967)
*''Sophisticated Sissy (Pt. 1)'' (A) Instant 11 -2635 (1968)
*''Sophisticated Sissy (Pt. 2)'' (B) Instant 11 -2635 (1968)
*''Back In Mother’s Arms'' (A) (As Curly Moore) Scram 120 (1970)
*''Not Just You'' (B) (As Curly Moore) Scram 120 (1970)
*''Shelley’s Rubber Band'' (A) House Of The Fox MH- 1934 (1971)
*''Funky, Yeah'' (B) House Of The Fox MH- 1934 (1971)
*''Lil Sally Walker (Pt. 1)'' (A) Roxbury RB 2014 (1975)
*''Lil Sally Walker (Pt. 2)'' (B) Roxbury RB 2014 (1975)
Compilations
*''I Love You'' Sansu (Unissued until released on Sundazed ASIN: B00005A0B8) (2001)
*''She’s Coming Home'' Ace (Jackson, MS) (1998) from Huey "Piano" Smith – That'll Get It (Even More Of The Best)
*''I Tried'' (Curley Moore With Gerri Hall
Gerri Hall (born August 2, 1934Encyclopedia of Louisiana Musicians-Jazz, Blues, Cajun, Creole, Zydeco, Swamp Pop, and Gospel, Author: Gene Tomko, LSU Press, March 2020) is an American R&B singer known for her works with Huey "Piano" Smith and ...
and Benny Spellman
Benny Spellman (December 11, 1931 – June 3, 2011) was an American R&B singer, best known for the 1962 single " Lipstick Traces (on a Cigarette)" and its B-side "Fortune Teller", both written by Allen Toussaint (credited as Naomi Neville).
"Lip ...
) Ace (Jackson, MS) (1998) from Huey "Piano" Smith – That'll Get It (Even More Of The Best)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Curley
1943 births
American rhythm and blues musicians
American murder victims
Rhythm and blues musicians from New Orleans
1985 deaths
Place of birth missing