Eddie Bo was one of the most prolific and underappreciated figures in New Orleans music history — a pianist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and producer who recorded more 45s than any New Orleans artist except Fats Domino, and whose influence on the city's musical development was incalculable.
Biography
Born Edwin Joseph Bocage in 1930, Bo studied classical piano and jazz theory at the Grunewald School of Music before switching to R&B, where the money was better. His piano style — combining bebop sophistication with blues feeling and a deep groove — was deeply original and enormously influential on the New Orleans piano tradition. He wrote songs recorded by Little Richard ('I'm Wise' became 'Slippin' and Slidin'') and Etta James ('My Dearest Darling'), and his 1969 hit 'Hook and Sling' became one of the most sampled recordings in hip-hop history. As a producer and arranger he worked with Irma Thomas, Chris Kenner, Art Neville, and dozens of others, shaping the sound of New Orleans R&B from behind the scenes. May 22, 1997 was declared Eddie Bo Day in New Orleans by Mayor Marc Morial.
Discography
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