Biography
9 July 1916, Guthrie, Oklahoma, USA, d. 26 July 1987, Los Angeles, California, USA. After attempting to learn various brass instruments, Joe Liggins settled down to study musical composition and piano arrangement. After moving to California, he began writing for and playing with local bands, graduating in the 40s to the respected units of Cee Pee Johnson and Sammy Franklin; he was working with the latter when, in 1945, he left to form his own group, the Honeydrippers. Joe Liggins And His Honeydrippers first recorded for Exclusive, with whom they had 10 hits between 1945 and 1949 - including the huge crossover hits ‘The Honeydripper’ and ‘I’ve Got A Right To Cry’; he followed his brother Jimmy to Specialty Records in 1950 where the hits continued with ‘Rag Mop’ and the hugely successful ‘Pink Champagne’ (Billboard’s number 1 blues record of the year). Leaving Specialty in 1954, Liggins went briefly to Mercury Records...
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