Booker T. Laury
| Booker T. Laury | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Lawrence Laury |
| Born |
September 2, 1914 Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
| Died | September 23, 1995 (aged 81) Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
| Genres | Boogie-woogie, blues, gospel, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist, singer |
| Instruments | Piano, vocals |
| Years active | 1930s–1995 |
Lawrence (Booker T.) Laury (September 2, 1914 – September 23, 1995) was an American boogie-woogie, blues, gospel and jazz pianist and singer. Over his lengthy career, Laury worked with various musicians, including Memphis Slim and Mose Vinson, but did not record his debut album until he was almost eighty years of age. He appeared in two films.
Laury was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and grew up with his lifelong friend Memphis Slim. At the age of six, after helping his mother play the family's pump organ, Laury learned to play the keyboards. His barrelhouse playing style, which he developed alongside Slim, was based on the influence of the Memphis performers Roosevelt Sykes, Sunnyland Slim, and Speckled Red. In the early 1930s, and in the company of the younger Mose Vinson, Slim and Laury began playing in local clubs.
In 1935, Sykes suggested to Laury and Slim that they relocated to Chicago, with a view to obtaining a recording contract. Slim took the advice, but Laury decided to remain in Memphis, where he played in gambling houses and clubs for decades. Laury had a large hand width, which enabled him to span ten keys. His playing dexterity was such that, after losing one finger on his left hand following an accident with a circular saw in the 1950s, he was still able to play well. Based around Beale Street, in Memphis, as that area started to degenerate, Laury traveled around Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri. Despite differing fortunes, his friendship with Slim did not diminish over the years, up to Slim's death in 1988.
...
Wikipedia