Lou Courtney

Born in Buffalo, New York, he graduated from Hutchinson Central Technical High School in 1962.[1] As Lew Courtney, he first recorded for Imperial Records the same year. He also worked in New York City as a songwriter, using his birth name, Louis Pegues, and wrote for Chubby Checker as well as Mary Wells' 1964 hit "Ain't It the Truth". With Dennis Lambert, he co-wrote the pop songs "Find My Way Back Home" for the Nashville Teens, "Do the Freddie" for Freddie and the Dreamers, and "Up and Down" recorded by the McCoys.[2] He also worked as Lorraine Ellison's recording director,[1] and produced Betty Mabry's first single, "The Cellar".[3]

In 1966, he signed for Riverside Records, and as Lou Courtney recorded the first in a series of dance-based songs. His first chart hit came with "Skate Now", which reached number 13 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 71 on the Hot 100 in 1967, and was followed by "Do the Thing" (#17 R&B, #80 pop).[4][5] He released a series of singles on Riverside and its subsidiary Pop-Side label in the late 1960s, including two more R&B chart hits, "You Ain't Ready" and "Hey Joyce"; several tracks later regarded as classics on the British Northern soul scene such as "Me & You Doing the Boogaloo" and "If the Shoe Fits", together with an album, Skate Now - Shing-A-Ling. His recordings covered ballads and mainstream soul tracks, as well as funk.[6] Most of his songs of the period were co-written and produced with Robert Bateman, who had previously been the co-writer and co-producer of the Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman" at Motown.[7]

Courtney left Pop-Side in 1968 and released singles on various other labels including Verve ("Do the Horse", 1968), Buddah ("Let Me Turn You On", 1969), and Hurdy-Gurdy ("Hot Butter 'N All", 1971).[8] However, he failed to reach the charts until he joined Epic Records in 1973, when, working with producer Jerry Ragovoy, he had further R&B chart entries with "What Do You Want Me To Do" and "I Don't Need Anybody Else", both self-penned songs.[2][4][5] He also released an album, I’m In Need of Love,[6] and appeared on Bonnie Raitt's 1974 album, Streetlights, which Ragovoy produced.

He formed a band, Buffalo Smoke, who released several singles, including a funk version of "Stubborn Kind of Fella", and an album on RCA Records in 1976.[4][9] In 1978, Courtney briefly became a member of The 5th Dimension, replacing Danny Beard, and featured on their Motown album High On Sunshine.[6] Subsequently, he has made occasional one-off live appearances.[4]

In 2016 it was reported that Courtney was living in New York City, following a stroke.[10] He died in 2021, aged 77.[11]

• Discography
• Lou Courtney discography at Discogs