Edwin Joseph Bocage (September 20, 1930 – March 18, 2009), known as Eddie Bo, was an American

singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

and

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

from

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. Schooled in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, he was known for his

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

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 ...

and

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 ...

recordings, compositions, productions and arrangements. He debuted on Ace Records in 1955 and released more single records than anyone else in New Orleans other than

Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...

. Eddie Bo worked and recorded for more than 40 different record labels, including Ace, Apollo Records, Arrow, At Last, Blue-Jay, Bo-Sound, Checker,

Chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...

, Cinderella, Nola, Ric (for which business his carpentry skills were used to build a studio), Scram, Seven B, and Swan. He is described at

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

as "a sorely underappreciated veteran of the

New Orleans R&B New Orleans rhythm and blues is a style of rhythm and blues that originated in New Orleans. It was a direct precursor to rock and roll and strongly influenced ska. Instrumentation typically includes drums, bass, piano, horns, electric guitar, and ...

scene."

Biography

Early life

Eddie Bo grew up 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 m ...

and in the

Ninth Ward The Ninth Ward or 9th Ward is a distinctive region of New Orleans, Louisiana, which is located in the easternmost downriver portion of the city. It is geographically the largest of the 17 Wards of New Orleans. On the south, the Ninth Ward is bound ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. He came from a long line of ship builders with the male members of his family being bricklayers, carpenters and masons by day and musicians by night. Eddie's mother was a self-taught pianist in the style of friend, Professor Longhair. The Bocage family was involved in the traditional jazz community with cousins Charles, Henry and

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

, who played with

Sidney Bechet Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His erratic temp ...

, contributing to jazz orchestras before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Eddie graduated from Booker T. Washington High School before going into the army. After his army stint, he returned to New Orleans to study at the Grunewald School of Music. There he learned piano, music theory and to sight read, and arrange music. It was at this time that he was influenced by Russian classical pianist

Vladimir Horowitz Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz; yi, וולאַדימיר סאַמוילאָוויטש האָראָוויץ, group=n (November 5, 1989)Schonberg, 1992 was a Russian-born American classical pianist. Considered one of the greatest pianists of all ...

and was introduced to

pianists

Art Tatum Arthur Tatum Jr. (, October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest in his field. From early in his career, Tatum's technical ability was regarded by fellow musicians as extraord ...

and

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...

. He began playing in the New Orleans jazz scene, but made a switch to R&B after deciding it was more popular and brought in more money. Like a lot of other local musicians Eddie frequented the premier blues venue in town, the Dew Drop Inn on LaSalle Street. He played at the Club Tijuana under the name of Spider Bocage, later forming the Spider Bocage Orchestra, which toured the country supporting singers

Big Joe Turner Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. (May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American singer from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." His greatest fame was due to ...

Earl King Earl Silas Johnson IV (February 7, 1934 – April 17, 2003),
known as Earl King, was an American singer, guit ...

Guitar Slim Eddie Jones (December 10, 1926 – February 7, 1959), better known as Guitar Slim, was an American guitarist in the 1940s and 1950s, best known for the million-selling song " The Things That I Used to Do", for Specialty Records. It is listed in t ...

Johnny Adams Laten John Adams Jr. (January 5, 1932 – September 14, 1998), was an American blues, jazz and gospel singer, known as "The Tan Canary" for the multi-octave range of his singing voice, his swooping vocal mannerisms and falsetto. His biggest ...

Lloyd Price Lloyd Price (March 9, 1933May 3, 2021) was an American singer-songwriter, record executive and bandleader, known as "Mr. Personality", after his 1959 million-selling hit, "Personality". His first recording, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", was a hit for Spe ...

Ruth Brown Ruth Alston Brown (; January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the " Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atl ...

Smiley Lewis A smiley, sometimes referred to as a smiley face, is a basic ideogram that represents a smiling face. Since the 1950s it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram, or as a form of communication, such a ...

, and

The Platters The Platters was an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The ac ...

Recording and production career

His first released record in 1955 was "Baby", recorded for Johnny Vincent's Ace Records. His next release, in 1956 on Apollo Records, was "I'm Wise" which Little Richard later recorded as "

Slippin' and Slidin' "Slippin' and Slidin' (Peepin' and Hidin')" is a R&B/rock 'n' roll song performed by Little Richard. The song is credited to Little Richard, Edwin Bocage (Eddie Bo), Al Collins, and James Smith. Al Collins first recorded "I Got the Blues for Yo ...

". After several releases on Ace he recorded "My Dearest Darling" in 1957 for

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock and roll ...

; the song, co-written by Bo and Paul Gayten, became a national chart hit in 1960 when recorded by

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...

. Songs written by Eddie Bo, ''MusicVf.com''
Retrieved 27 July 2015 From 1959, he recorded for

Ric Records Ric Records, along with sister label Ron Records, were American record labels formed by Joe Ruffino in 1959. Although most of Ric's releases did not rise above regional hits, the label was active during the golden era of New Orleans R&B and was an ...

, and had regional hits including "Every Dog Has Its Day" and "Tell It Like It Is", and in 1961 recorded the novelty dance song "Check Mr Popeye", reissued nationally by

Swan Records Swan Records was a mid-20th century United States-based record label, founded in 1957 and based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It had a subsidiary label called Lawn Records. History Swan Records had enjoyed chart success with several U.S. arti ...

, which became one of his best-known recordings though not a national hit."New Orleans Bluesman Eddie Bo Dies", ''Billboard'', March 24, 2009
Retrieved 27 July 2015 During the 1960s, Bo continued to release singles on a string of local record labels, including Rip, Cinderella, and Blue Jay, though only a few achieved national distribution.
Retrieved 27 July 2015 On these records, his style got

ier, and he used more of his jazz training, helping to create a distinctively different and influential New Orleans piano style. He recorded the renowned "Pass The Hatchet" under the nom de disque, Roger and the Gypsies for Joe Banashak's Seven B label as well as "Fence of Love" and "SGB" (Stone Graveyard Business) under his own name. He either wrote or produced most of the titles on Seven B records. He also worked as a record producer, with musicians including

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 ...

, Chris Kenner,

Al "Carnival Time" Johnson Al "Carnival Time" Johnson (born June 20, 1939, in New Orleans, LouisianaClassic Songs of Louisiana "Carnival Time", OffBeat Magazine, February 2007) is an American singer and piano player best known for the Mardi Gras song " Carnival Time". H ...

Art Neville Arthur Lanon Neville Jr. (December 17, 1937 – July 22, 2019) was an American singer, songwriter and keyboardist from New Orleans. Neville was a staple of the New Orleans music scene for over five decades. He was the founder of the funk band ...

Chuck Carbo Hayward "Chuck" Carbo (January 11, 1926 – July 11, 2008) was an American R&B singer, best known for his time as a vocalist in the New Orleans group The Spiders. Chuck Carbo was born in Houma, Louisiana, then moved with his family to the Zion ...

, Mary Jane Hooper, Robert Parker, and The Explosions. In 1969, at the height of funk, he had his only national chart hit, "Hook and Sling, Pts. 1 & 2", which reached number 13 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

and number 73 on the

pop chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include re ...

. The song, on the Scram label, was recorded in just one take. He then formed his own label, Bo-Sound, and had another regional hit with "Check Your Bucket". From the early 1970s Bo worked in the music business only sporadically, after setting up his own renovation business. In 1977 he released two albums, ''The Other Side of Eddie Bo'' and ''Watch for the Coming,'' which he produced himself. In the late 1980s and 1990s he recorded with the

Dirty Dozen Brass Band The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a brass band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The ensemble was established in 1977, by Benny Jones and members of the Tornado Brass Band. The Dirty Dozen revolutionized the New Orleans brass band style by incorpo ...

, with whom he toured Europe, and resurrected his Bo-Sound label. He joined

Willy DeVille Willy DeVille (born William Paul Borsey Jr.; August 25, 1950 – August 6, 2009) was an American singer and songwriter. During his thirty-five-year career, first with his band Mink DeVille (1974–1986) and later on his own, DeVille created ori ...

to play on two DeVille records, ''

Victory Mixture ''Victory Mixture'' is a 1990 album by Willy DeVille. The album consists of cover versions of New Orleans R&B and soul classics by DeVille’s musical idols. Trouser Press said about the album, “A rootsy covers collection, ''Victory Mixture'' ...

'' and ''

Big Easy Fantasy ''Big Easy Fantasy'' is an album by Willy DeVille and the Mink DeVille Band. It was released in Europe on the French New Rose label in 1995. The album is a mixture of studio tracks and concert recordings made in New York and Paris. The "big easy ...

,'' and he toured with DeVille as well. He later joined up with

Raful Neal Raful Neal (June 6, 1936 – September 1, 2004)Biography '' AllMusic'' was an American Louisiana blues singer, harmonicist and songwriter from the United States. Neal was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States, and reared by his aunt ...

and Rockin'

Tabby Thomas Ernest Joseph "Tabby" Thomas, (January 5, 1929 – January 1, 2014), also known as Rockin' Tabby Thomas, was an American blues musician. He sang and played the piano and guitar and specialized in swamp blues, a style of blues indigenous to southe ...

playing and recording under the names The Louisiana Legends, The District Court and The Hoodoo Kings. He continued to perform frequently in New Orleans and at festivals elsewhere, and toured intermittently. He also bought a doctor's office and salon on Banks Street which he and his manager converted into an eatery for fans called "Check Your Bucket" after his 1970 hit. Like his home and recording studio it was hit by

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

while Bo was on tour in

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 ...

. Due to Bo's carpentry and bricklaying skills he took on the task of completing the hurricane damage repairs himself.

Death and aftermath

Eddie Bo died on March 18, 2009, in

Picayune, Mississippi Picayune ( ) is the largest city in Pearl River County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 10,878 at the 2010 census. The city is located approximately from New Orleans, Hattiesburg, and Gulfport– Biloxi. The Stennis Space Cen ...

, United States, of a

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 ...

, aged 78. After his death, his body was cremated on the instructions of a woman claiming to be his sister, though other close relatives of Bo have subsequently claimed that she was unrelated to him. A memorial concert was held in his memory on April 1, 2009, with guests including

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from ...

, Irma Thomas and

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 ...

Family

Eddie Bo was survived by two sisters; Gloria Bocage-Sylva, who lives in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

, and Lisa Bocage-Howard, and two brothers; Oliver and Cornelius; plus eleven children: Valeri Ann Bocage, Edwin Joseph Bocage, Jr., Owen David Bocage, Nancy Marie Bocage-Siegel, Cheryl Bocage-Joseph, Tanya Bocage-Sales, Sonjia Bocage-Anderson, Tomekia Bocage-Jones and Ava Nicol.

Awards and recognitions

He won many music awards including two Lifetime Achievement awards from the South Louisiana Music Association and Music/Offbeat Best of the Beat. His song "Hook & Sling" was featured on the

breakbeat Breakbeat is a broad type of electronic music that tends to use drum breaks sampled from early recordings of funk, jazz, and R&B. Breakbeats have been used in styles such as hip hop, jungle, drum and bass, big beat, breakbeat hardcore, and UK ...

compilation ''

Ultimate Breaks and Beats ''Ultimate Breaks and Beats'' (also commonly abbreviated as UBB) was a series of 25 compilation albums released from 1986 to 1991 by Street Beat Records edited by "BreakBeat Lou" Flores. Featured on the albums were tracks from 1966 to 1984 that ...

''. May 22, 1997 was declared "Eddie Bo Day" in New Orleans by mayor

Marc Morial Marc Haydel Morial (born January 3, 1958) is an American political and civic leader and the current president of the National Urban League. Morial served as Mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002 as the city's youngest Mayor, President of the ...

while Bo was playing in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. Bo was also named

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

' music ambassador to

Discography

Singles

* 1955: "Baby" / "So Glad" (

Ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...

) * 1955: "We Like Mambo" / "I'm So Tired" (Ace) * 1956: "I'm Wise" / "Happy Tears" (

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

) * 1956: "Please Forgive Me" / "I'll Be Satisfied" (Apollo) * 1956: "My Heart Was Meant For You" / "I Cry Oh" (Apollo) * 1956: "Tell Me Why" / "Hey Bo" (Instrumental) (Apollo) * 1956: "Too Much Of A Good Thing" / "Dearest One" (Apollo) * 1956: "Tell Me Why" / "Hey Bo" (Apollo) * 1957: "Indeed I Do" / "Every Day and Every Night" ( Checker) * 1957: "Oh Oh" / "My Dearest Darling" (

) * 1958: "I'll Keep On Trying" / "I Love to Rock and Roll" (Ace) * 1958: "Walk That Walk" / "Hep Hep Hooray" (Chess) * 1959: "I Need Someone" / "Hey There Baby" (Ric) * 1959: " You Got Your Mojo Working" / "Everybody Knows" (Ric) * 1960: "Tell It Like It Is" / "Every Dog Got His Day" (Ric) * 1960: "Ain't It the Truth Now" / "Warm Daddy" (Ric) * 1960: "It Must Be Love" / "What a Fool I've Been (Ric) * 1961: "Dinky Doo" / "Everybody, Everything Needs Love" (Ric) * 1961: "Dinky Doo" / "Everybody, Everything Needs Love" (

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

) * 1962: "Bless Us All" / "When You Cry Your Heart Out" (Rip) * 1962: "Mo-Jo" / "Let's Limbo" (Rip) * 1962: "You're The Only One" / "You're With Me" (Rip) * 1962: "You're The Only One" / "You're With Me" (Chess) * 1962: "I Just Keep Rolling" (Rip) * 1962: "I Got To Know" / "Bless You Darling" (Ric) * 1962: "Check Mr. Popeye (Part 1)" / "Now Let's Popeye (Part 2)" (Swan) * 1962: "Baby I'm Wise" / "Roamin - Titis" (Ric) * 1963: "Woman" / "Temptation" (Rip) * 1963: "Tee Na Na" / "Mama Said" (Rip) * 1963: "Te Na Na Nay" / "Twinkle Toes" (At Last) * 1963: "I Found A Little Girl" / "Hold Me" (At Last) * 1963: "Reassure Me" / "

Shake Rattle And Roll "Shake, Rattle and Roll" is a song, written in 1954 by Jesse Stone (usually credited as Charles Calhoun, his songwriting name). The original recording by Big Joe Turner is ranked number 127 on the ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of The 500 Gr ...

" (Cinderella) * 1963: "Just Like a Monkey" / "Have Mercy on Me" (Cinderella) * 1964: "Fare Thee Well" / "Let's Do It" (Arrow) * 1964: "Fare Thee Well" / "Let's Do It" (Chess) * 1964: "You Are Going To Be Somebody's Fool" / "A Heap See (But A Few Know)" (Nola) * 1964: "Gotta Have More" / "Come With Me" (Blue Jay) * 1964: "Fight It" / "The River of Tears" (Blue Jay) * 1964: "Fee-Fie-Jum-Bo-Li" / "Danger" (Blue Jay) * 1965: "Our Love (Will Never Falter)" / "Lucky In Love" (Blue Jay) * 1966: "Ooh Wee Baby What You Gonna Do" / "Fallin' In Love Again" (Seven B) * 1966: "Let Our Love Begin" / "From This Day On" (Seven B) * 1967: "Just Friends" / "Fence Of Love" (Seven B) * 1967: "All I Ask Of You" / "Skate It Out" (Seven B) * 1967: "Stone Graveyard Business" / "Solid Foundation" (Seven B) * 1968: "Lover And A Friend" / "If I Had To Do It Over" (Seven B) * 1969: "That Certain Someone" / "Love Has Been Good" (Scram) * 1969: "Hook And Sling (Parts 1 & 2)" (Scram) * 1969: "If It's Good For You (It's Good For You) (Parts 1 & 2)" (Scram) * 1970: "The Rubber Band (Parts 1 & 2)" (Knight) * 1970: "Check Your Bucket" (Bo-Sound)

Albums

Filmography

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

: ''

New Orleans Music in Exile ''New Orleans Music in Exile'' is a documentary and music film that was made in 2006 and released on DVD on August 7, 2007. It was directed by Robert Mugge. Summary Essentially, this film tells the story of several New Orleans based musicians d ...

References

External links

Official website

*

Biography on Allmusic A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bo, Eddie 1930 births 2009 deaths Ace Records (United States) artists 20th-century African-American male singers American rhythm and blues singers American soul musicians Chess Records artists Rhythm and blues musicians from New Orleans Singers from Louisiana