Air Week: April 1-7, 2019

Roy Byrd aka Professor Longhair

New Orleans has probably given birth to more musical geniuses than any other city in the world. So when you cite one particular artist from The Crescent City and say that they are the granddaddy of ’em all, that’s something extra special. That, cats & kittens, is Henry Roeland Byrd, aka Roy Byrd, aka Professor Longhair. Byrd’s piano and singing style are like none that came before or since. He’s influenced all the greats, from Fats Domino and Huey Smith to Allen Toussaint and Dr. John, yet none of them could copy his sound. Matt The Cat features the early and most influential records from Roy Byrd, who was also recording under the name Professor Longhair at the same time and had records out under 3 different record labels. His first recordings were made for the Star Talent label, but a union issue kept them from being released right away, so he then recorded for Mercury and Atlantic, holding recording sessions one month apart. Atlantic was the first to issue a Professor Longhair record (January of 1950), but Mercury and Star Talent both issued singles the following month. For Mercury, he was known as Roy Byrd and he scored his only national hit during the summer of 1950 with “Bald Head.” Still, the records he made for Atlantic are probably the best remembered today. On this week’s “Juke In The Back,” Matt The Cat shares an interview with Atlantic’s co-founder Ahmet Ertegun on how he and partner Herb Abramson came to discover and sign Professor Longhair in 1949. So get ready to jump n’ shout and knock it out as we feature the fantabulous Roy Byrd aka Professor Longhair. 

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