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Biography
refimprove|date=December 2009Infobox musical artist | name = Shorty Long| image =| caption =| image_size =| background = solo_singer| birth_name =| alias = Frederick Earl Long| birth_date = Birth date|1940|05|20|birth_place = Birmingham, Alabama , U.S.| death_date = Death date and age|1969|06|29|1940|05|20|death_place = Detroit, Michigan , U.S.| origin = Birmingham, Alabama| instrument = Vocals , piano , Organ (music)|organ , Drum kit|drums , harmonica , and trumpet | genre = Rhythm and blues|R& B , Soul music|soul | occupation =| years_active =| label = Tri-Phi/Harvey, King Records (USA)|King , Motown|Soul/Motown | associated_acts =| website =| current_members =| past_members =| notable_instruments = Frederick Earl "Shorty" Long (May 20, 1940 & ndash; June 29, 1969) was an American soul music|soul singing|singer , songwriter , musician , and record producer for Motown 's Soul Records imprint. He was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1980.
Career
Born in Birmingham, Alabama , Long came to Motown in 1963 from the Tri-Phi/Harvey label, owned by Berry Gordy 's sister, Gwen, and her husband, Harvey Fuqua . His first release, " Devil with the Blue Dress On " (1964), written with William "Mickey" Stevenson , was the first recording issued on Motown's Soul label, a subsidiary designed for more blues-based artists such as Long. While this song never charted nationally, the song was covered and made a hit in 1966 by Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels . Long's 1966 single "Function at the Junction" was his first popular hit, reaching #42 on the national R& B charts. Other single releases included "It's a Crying Shame" (1964), " Chantilly Lace (song)|Chantilly Lace " (1967), and "Night Fo' Last" (1968).
Long's biggest hit was Here Comes The Judge#Other versions|Here Comes The Judge in 1968, which reached number four on the R& B charts and number-eight on the Billboard Hot 100 . The song was inspired by a comic act on '' Laugh-In|Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In '' about a judge by Pigmeat Markham , whose own " Here Comes The Judge " (a totally different song) charted two weeks after Long's did in June 1968, and became a Top 20 hit. Long's 1969 singles included "I Had a Dream" and " A Whiter Shade of Pale ". He released one album during his lifetime, Here Comes the Judge (1968).
Long played many instruments, including piano , Organ (music)|organ , Drum kit|drums , harmonica , and trumpet . He acted as an MC for many of the Motortown Revue shows and tours, and co-wrote several of his tunes ("Devil with the Blue Dress," "Function at the Junction," and "Here Comes the Judge."). Long was the only Motown artist besides Smokey Robinson who was allowed to produce his own recordings in the 1960s. Marvin Gaye , in David Ritz 's biography Divided Soul: The Life & Times of Marvin Gaye , described Shorty Long as "this beautiful cat who had two hits, and then got ignored by Motown."cite book|last=Ritz|first=David |title=Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye|publisher=Basic Books|year=2003|pages=99|isbn=0-306-81191-X Gaye claimed he "fought for guys like Shorty" while at Motown, since no one ever pushed for these artists. When Holland-Dozier-Holland came to Gaye with a tune, he stated, "Why are you going to produce me? Why don't you produce Shorty Long? "
Death
On June 29, 1969, Long and a friend drowned when their boat capsized on the Detroit River in Michigan .cite journal|date=1969-07-17|title='Shorty' Long, Pal, Drown; He's Buried In Alabama|journal=Jet|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|volume=36|issue=15|pages=57|issn=0021-5996|url= http://books.google.com/books? id=tDgDAAAAMBAJ& pg=PA57& dq=shorty+long+function+at+the+junction& ei=tyk4S-fVFZvwNK69gaUB& cd=4#v=onepage& q=shorty%20long%20function%20at%20the%20junction& f=false Stevie Wonder played the harmonica at his burial, and placed it on his casket afterwards. Writer Roger Green's epitaph stated: "So there endeth the career of a man who sang what he wanted to sing - everything from the blues to romantic ballards, from wild and crazy numbers to a utopian vision of Heaven on Earth. Short in stature but big in talent, he entertained and amazed us, and finally he inspired us." accompanying booklet to "The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 9, 1968", (2007), Motown Records, pg. 82)
Motown issued Long's final album, The Prime of Shorty Long , shortly after his death.
Discography
Albums
1968: Here Comes the Judge (LP, SS/SM 709)
1969: The Prime of Shorty Long (LP, SS-719)
Singles
1964: " Devil with the Blue Dress On "/"Wind It Up" (Soul 35001)
1965: "It's a Crying Shame"/"Out to Get You" (Soul 35005)
1966: "Function at the Junction"/"Call On Me" (Soul 35021)
1967: "Chantilly Lace"/"Your Love is Amazing" (Soul 350031)
1968: "Here Comes the Judge"/"Sing What You Wanna" (Soul 35044)
1969: "I Had a Dream"/"Ain't No Justice" (Soul 35054)
1969: "A Whiter Shade of Pale"/"When You are Available" (Soul 35064)
References
reflist
External links
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p35985
http://www.soul-patrol.com/soul/shorty.htm Soulpatrol.com page on Shorty Long
http://www.jazzhall.com Official website of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
Persondata|NAME= Long, Shorty |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= |SHORT DESCRIPTION= Singer, songwriter, musician, record producer |DATE OF BIRTH= May 20, 1940 |PLACE OF BIRTH= Birmingham, Alabama , U.S. |DATE OF DEATH= June 29, 1969 |PLACE OF DEATH= Detroit, Michigan , U.S. DEFAULTSORT:Long, Shorty Category:Accidental deaths in Michigan Category:African American musicians Category:African American record producers Category:African American singers Category:American male singers Category:American multi-instrumentalists Category:American rhythm and blues musicians Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul musicians Category:American soul singers Category:Deaths by drowning Category:King Records artists Category:Motown artists Category:Musicians from Alabama Category:People from Birmingham, Alabama Category:1940 births Category:1969 deaths Category:Northern soul musicians
Copyright Citations
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