Billy Wright (musician)

Wright was born in Atlanta, Georgia. There is uncertainty over his year of birth. He claimed to have been born in 1932, but the researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc have stated that he was born in 1918, on the basis of official records and a newspaper obituary;[1] other sources suggest 1928.[3]

As a child, Wright excelled at singing gospel music in his local church. In his youth, he worked as a dancer[3] and as a female impersonator[4] but developed as a singer when he began performing at Atlanta's 81 Theater. The saxophonist Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams saw Wright's performance when the two shared a bill with Charles Brown and Wynonie Harris. Williams recommended him to Herman Lubinsky of Savoy Records.[5][6]

His first record, "Blues for My Baby", recorded with Howard Collander's orchestra, rose to number 3 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1949. He had three more records on the R&B chart: "You Satisfy" (number 9, 1949), "Stacked Deck" (number 9, 1951), and "Hey, Little Girl" (number 10, 1951).[3] A flamboyant performer, he was known as the "Prince of the Blues" throughout his career.[2] He was a key figure in Atlanta blues after World War II and had a major influence on the rock-and-roll pioneer Little Richard, whom he helped get his first recording contract in 1951.[7] In the early 1950s, the openly gay Wright also helped in establishing Richard's look, advising him to use pancake makeup on his face and wear his hair in a long-haired pompadour style similar to his.[7]

In 1954, Wright signed a contract with Peacock Records, owned by Don Robey, in Houston, Texas.[6] He made his last recordings in 1959. He primarily worked as an MC in Atlanta[6] but continued to perform until he suffered a stroke. He died of a pulmonary embolism[2] just before his 1991 Halloween show at the Royal Peacock in Atlanta.

Wright's first musical opportunity came in the tent shows that were popular at the time. In these events, men dressed in drag and acted and sang in minstrel shows. Sometimes, he even balanced a chair on his chin while he sang.[8] This led to the flamboyant persona he adopted for his short career that he passed onto Little Richard. It also gave him experience in make-up which came in handy with his performances.[9] It was after a few years as a female impersonator that a Billy focused more on singing.[10]

Wright was openly homosexual.[10]

• Allmusic on Billy Wright