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Billy Guy

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Billy Guy
Birth nameFrank Phillips, Jr.
Born(1936-06-20)June 20, 1936
Itasca, Texas, U.S.
DiedNovember 5, 2002(2002-11-05) (aged 66)
Clark County, Nevada, U.S.

Billy Guy (June 20, 1936 – November 5, 2002) was an American singer, best known as a lead singer for the Coasters. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987

Biography

Born Frank Phillips in Texas, Guy is best known as a member of the Coasters, singing lead on such hits as "Searchin'", "Little Egypt", "Run Red Run", "Wait A Minute", among others. Songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller praised his "marvelous sense of comedy and timing."[1]

Before Guy joined The Coasters in 1955,[2] he was part of a comedy singing duo called "Bip and Bop". One single, "Ding Dong Ding", b/w "Du-Wada-Du", was released on Aladdin Records in 1955.[3] He made a number of solo records during the 1960s and 1970s. He did about a dozen or so solo recordings in 1963 for Double-L Records which later show up on collections as by The Coasters, most notably the albums "Hungry" (Joy #189, 1971, released in the UK) and "It Ain't Sanitary" (Trip #8028, 1973). [citation needed]

He also produced records for others in the late 60s and early 70s, including "Love Won't Wear Off" (Calla Records) in 1968 by J.R. Bailey and a spoken words album by Universal Messengers called "An Experience In The Blackness Of Sound" (Turbo/All Platinum Records) about 1969. Bailey was a former member of The Cadillacs and writing partner of Vernon Harrell (who had replaced Guy as a member of The Coasters in the 1960s on stage only). Guy and Bailey had a record company, GuyJim Records. A single released by C. Alexander And The Natural 3 called "Pay Them No Mind" b/w "Somebody Special" was released on the GuyJim label. Guy released a comedy album on Snake Eyes/All Platinum Records in 1972 called "The Tramp Is Funky". [citation needed]

He produced a double-album by Pearl Box Revue called "Call Me Miss-ter" on Snake Eyes/All Platinum Records, which was a spoken word album with four drag queens, including Dorian Corey.[4] These two records are X-rated material. On his single "The Ugly", b/w "Hug One Another", it states that the songs were from the album "A Little Of This, A Little Of That". In 1977, he appeared, along with Grady Chapman and Jerome Evans, on a recording "Paid The Price" by Michelle Phillips on her album "Victim Of Romance". [citation needed]

Discography

Singles

  • Ding Ding Dong/Du-Wada-Du (Aladdin #3287) (1955) (as Bip and Bop)
  • As Quiet As It’s Kept/Here I Am (ABC Paramount #10320) (1962)
  • It Don't Take Much/She’s A Humdinger (ABC Paramount #10397) (1962)
  • Whip It On Me, Baby/Women (aka The Prophet) (Double-L #719) (1963)
  • Foxy Lady/ (B-Side Unknown) (Chalco) (1960s)
  • I’m Sorry ‘Bout That/Lookin’ Like A Nut Nut (GuyJim #GJ-587) (about 1967) (as The New Way)
  • Lookin' Like A Nut Nut/Here ‘Tis (Sew City #109) (1967) (as Billy Guy & The Odds 'N' Ends)
  • If You Want To Get Ahead, Shake A Leg/I’m Sorry About That (Verve #10485) (1967)
  • Let Me Go Getto/ (No Side B) (All Platinum #2320) (1970)
  • The Ugly/Hug One Another (All Platinum #2323) (1971)
  • All I Need Is Love/Shake A Leg (Bell #124) (1971) (as Happy) (also released as Happy Cats)
  • Watergate (Put Some Funk On, Cause The Money's Been Long Gone)/Hockey-Puck (Black Circle #102) (1970's) (produced by Billy Guy & H. B. Barnum) (as Billy Guy and The Coasters)
  • You Move Me/Take It Easy Greasy (Sal-Wa #1001) (1975) (as Billy Guy and The Coasters)
  • Ain't No Greens In Harlem/Jumbo Bwana (Polydor #2040-273) (1977) (as Billy Guy and The Coasters)

Albums

  • Various Artists: Washington Committee (Double L #DL-2302) (Promo LP) (1963) (includes "Women" and "Whip It On Me Baby")
  • Universal Messengers: An Experience In The Blackness Of Sound (Turbo/All Platinum) (about 1969) (produced only)
  • A Little Of This And A Little Of That (All Platinum) (about 1971) (possibly unreleased)
  • Hungry (Joy #189) (England) (1971) (includes solo tracks recorded in 1962) (released as by The Coasters)
  • The Tramp Is Funky (Snake Eyes/All Platinum #9000) (1972)
  • Pearl Box Revue: Call Me Misster (Snake Eyes/All Platinum #9001) (about 1972) (produced and appeared on album)
  • It Ain’t Sanitary (Trip #8028) (1962) (includes solo tracks recorded in 1963) (released as by The Coasters) - reissue of Joy LP.
  • The Coasters (Stateside #40028) (Germany) (1973) (all 16 solo tracks recorded in 1962) (released as by The Coasters)
  • Michelle Phillips: Victim Of Romance (A&M #4651) (1977) (backup vocals on "Paid The Price" track)
  • Various Artists: Buttshakers Volume 2 (Mr. Luckee) (includes "Lookin' Like A Nut Nut")

Notes

  1. ^ Leiber & Stoller interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
  2. ^ Millar, Bill (1974). The Coasters. London, UK: Star Books. p. 70. ISBN 0-352-30020-5.
  3. ^ Steve Propes, and Galen Gart (2001). L.A. R&B Vocal Groups 1945-1965. Milford, NH: Big Nickel Publications. p. 20. ISBN 0-936433-18-3.
  4. ^ Doyle, J.D. "Drag Artist Discography". Queer Music Heritage. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
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