BILLY " THE KID " EMERSON
William Robert Emerson, known during his recording career as Billy "The Kid" Emerson and more recently as Rev. William R. Emerson (born December 21, 1925, Tarpon Springs, Florida, United States), is an African American preacher and former R&B and rock and roll singer and songwriter, best known for his 1955 song, "Red Hot."
Born in Florida, Emerson learned the piano, playing in various local bands. In 1943, he joined the United States Navy, and after World War II he began playing in Florida, and following a spell in one group where the members dressed as outlaws, he picked up the nickname "Billy The Kid".
He joined the United States Air Force in 1952, and on his discharge met up in Memphis with bandleader Ike Turner, who recruited him into his Kings of Rhythm. In 1954 he released his first record on the Sun label, "No Teasing Around", following which he left Turner's band and joined a group led by Phineas Newborn. He stayed with Sun as a songwriter, writing and recording "When It Rains, It Really Pours", later recorded by Elvis Presley, and "Red Hot", which later became a hit for both Billy Lee Riley and Bob Luman but was not a commercial success for Emerson.
In late 1955 he joined Vee-Jay Records in Chicago,making records such as "Every Woman I Know (Crazy 'Bout Automobiles)", released a year later but with little commercial success, and soon afterwards moved to Chess Records.
After recording for several smaller labels, he formed his own Tarpon Records in 1966, releasing Denise LaSalle's debut single as well as his own records. He also continued to play in clubs and on European blues tours.In 2005 he was reported as having a church in Oak Park, Illinois, as Rev. William R. Emerson.
Emerson was inducted in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
A compilation album, Red Hot: The Sun Years, was released in 2009 by Bear Family Records.
Recorded in Memphis January 1954
Billy Emerson, (vocals, piano) Oliver Sain (alto sax) Eugene Fox (tenor sax), Ike Turner (guitar), Jesse Knight (bass) and Willie Sims (drums).
Teclista Billy "The Kid" Emerson tocaba R&B, R&R Gospel, Soul tots aquests estils relacionats entre si durant una llarga carrera que va començar a Florida i després el va transportar fins a Memphis i Chicago.
Emerson ja havia après la seva manera ha tocar un piano quan va ingressar a l'Armada en 1943. Després de la guerra, va començar a tocar al voltant de Tarpon Springs, assistint a la Florida A & M durant els anys 40 i principis dels 50s. Va agafar el seu sobrenom durant la seva estança a Sant Petesburg , un club que reunía el bó i millor de la ciutat.
Una temporada 1952-53 en la Força Aèria va portar a Emerson a parar a Greenville, Mississippi. Aquí és on es va reunir amb el director d'orquestra el llavors jove Ike Turner, que va seguir la estela d´Emerson com a artista mentre cantava amb The Kings of Rhythm de Turner. Turner també va aconseguirque Emerson entres per la porta de Sun Records el 1954, tocant la guitarra en el debut de The Kid "No teasing around "
Les habilitats com a compositor d'Emerson no feien d´ell una mercaderia valuosa al voltant del The SUN fans - sinó més aviat com una font per al material d'altres artistes 'més endavant. El seu blues 1,955 sortida "When it rains it pours " va provocar una coberta d'Elvis uns anys més tard en la RCA, mentre que "Red Hot" (un enlairament en el cant d'una antiga animadora de dies d'escola d'Emerson) d'Emerson es va convertir en un himne rockabilly ....
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