| James Booker: The James Booker Collection: Piano: Instrumental WorkJames Booker III was born in New Orleans in December, 17 1939. He was classically trained on piano from the age of six, at which time his astounding talents were already evident, and he was considered a child prodigy. He found his way into the local music scene as a young teenager recording his first single, Doin' the Hambone, at fourteen. Although it failed commercially, Booker got extensive studio work as a result, including uncredited 'ghost' piano tracks for Fats Domino. Throughout high school, booker played regularly with many local and regional bands, while still maintaining an excellent academic record.
After graduating, Booker hit the road with Joe Tex, and spent the next several years gigging with various bands including Earl King, Dee Clark and Huey 'Piano' Smith and the Clowns (actually replacing Huey who preferred not to tour). In 1960, Booker recorded what would be his most commercially successful song, the organ-driven instrumental 'Gonzo'. Despite reaching number 10 on the Billboard R Instrumentation : Publisher : Level : |