More Info on Lee DorseySimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
Infobox musical artist| name = Lee Dorsey| image =| caption =| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Irving Lee Dorsey| alias =| birth_date = Birth date|mf=yes|1924|12|24|birth_place = New Orleans , Louisiana , United States | death_date = death date and age|mf=yes|1986|12|2|1924|12|24|death_place =New Orleans| origin =| instrument =| genre = soul music|Soul , rhythm and blues|R& B | occupation = singing|singer | years_active = Late 1950s& ndash;1986| label = Fury Records|Fury , Amy Records|Amy , Polydor Records|Polydor , ABC Records|ABC | associated_acts =|website =| notable_instruments = Lee Dorsey (December 24, 1924 – December 2, 1986)Allmusic|class=artist|id=p4121|pure_url=yes Allmusic biography was an African American pop music|pop / Rhythm and blues|R& B singing|singer during the 1960s. Much of his work was record producer|produced by Allen Toussaint with instrumental backing provided by the Meters .
Career
Born Irving Lee Dorsey in New Orleans , Louisiana , Dorsey moved to Portland, Oregon|Portland , Oregon when he was ten years old. He served in the United States Navy and began a career in prizefighting. Boxing as a light heavyweight in Portland in the early 1950s, he fought under the name "Kid Chocolate" and was quite successful.
Dorsey met songwriter /producer Allen Toussaint at a party in the early 1960s, and was signed to the Fury record label . The song that launched his career was inspired by a group of children chanting nursery rhyme s - " Ya Ya (Lee Dorsey song)|Ya Ya " went to number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a music recording sales certification|gold disc .cite book | first= Joseph | last= Murrells | year= 1978 | title= The Book of Golden Discs | edition= 2nd | publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd | location= London | page= 134 | isbn= 0-214-20512-6 He sound recording and reproduction|recorded other songs for Fury before the label folded, and Dorsey went back to his car repair business.
Toussaint later came back on the Amy label and began to work with Dorsey once again. From 1965 to 1969 Dorsey put seven songs in the Hot 100, the most successful of which was " Working in the Coal Mine " in 1966. It was to be his second and last Top 40|Top Ten song. In 1970 Dorsey and Toussaint collaborated on an album entitled Yes We Can ; the Yes We Can Can#Original Lee Dorsey version|title song was Dorsey's last entry in the single (music)|singles chart. It was later a hit for the Pointer Sisters under the title, " Yes We Can Can ".
Dorsey appeared on an album with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes , which led to more recordings on his own with ABC Records in the late 1970s. In 1980, Dorsey opened for English punk band The Clash on their United States|U.S. concert tour|tour .
Dorsey contracted emphysema and died on December 2, 1986, in New Orleans, at the age of 61.
Dorsey's songs have been cover version|covered by musician|artists as diverse as Petula Clark ("Ya Ya Twist," a 1962 French language|French version of " Ya Ya ") and Devo ("Working in the Coal Mine"). "Ya Ya" was also covered on John Lennon 's '' Rock 'n' Roll (John Lennon album)|Rock 'n' Roll album, and The Beatles Let It Be... Naked contained an extended live jam, with Tommy Sheridan on vocals.
His version of the Allen Toussaint song "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky (From Now On)" is referenced in the Beastie Boys ' song lyrics for " Sure Shot " - "...everything I do is funky like Lee Dorsey."
"Ya Ya" was spoken by Cheech Marin in '' Cheech and Chong's Next Movie , as he was waiting for his girlfriend.
Discography
Albums
Ya Ya (1962)
Ride Your Pony (1966)
The New Lee Dorsey (1966)
Working in the Coalmine (1967)
Yes We Can (1970)
Night People (1978)
Chart singles
Year
Single
Chart Positions
US Pop cite book
US R& B cite book
UK cite book
1961
" Ya Ya "
7
1
-
"Do-Re-Mi"
27
22
-
1965
"Ride Your Pony"
28
7
-
1966
"Get Out Of My Life, Woman"
44
5
22
"Confusion"
-
-
38
" Working In The Coal Mine "
8
5
8
"Holy Cow"
23
10
6
1967
"My Old Car"
97
-
-
"Go-Go Girl"
62
31
-
1969
"Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On)"
95
33
-
1970
"Yes We Can - Part 1"
-
46
-
1978
"Night People"
-
93
-
See also
List of soul musicians
List of R& B musicians
List of people from New Orleans, Louisiana
List of performers on Top of the Pops
References
Reflist
External links
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p4121|pure_url=yes Lee Dorsey biography at Allmusic website
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi? page=gr& GRid=6844844 Mini biography and photo @ Findagrave.com
Persondata| NAME = Dorsey, Lee | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = African American pop music|pop / Rhythm and blues|R& B singing|singer | DATE OF BIRTH = December 24, 1924 | PLACE OF BIRTH = New Orleans , Louisiana , United States | DATE OF DEATH = December 2, 1986 | PLACE OF DEATH = New Orleans , Louisiana , United States DEFAULTSORT:Dorsey, Lee Category:1924 births Category:1986 deaths Category:R& B musicians from New Orleans Category:American male singers Category:American soul musicians Category:African American musicians Category:Bell Records artists Category:Fury Records artists Category:Smash Records artists Category:Ace Records artists Category:Sue Records artists
