Billy Wright
b. 21 May 1932, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, d. 28 October 1991, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. A promising gospel singer as a child, he would often sneak into Atlanta's famous 81 Theater to watch the secular shows and eventually turned to performing the blues. His soulful voice came to the attention of Savoy Records, who secured a US R&B Top 5 hit with his debut record Blues For My Baby in 1949. Other less successful releases followed, but Wright's strength was in his live performances, earning him the nickname—Prince Of The Blues. After his Savoy tenure, Wright recorded for Peacock in 1955 and then passed on the baton to his devoted admirers Little Richard, James Brown and Otis Redding. In the late '50s he made his final recordings for Bobby Robinson's Fire Records and tiny local labels, Carrollton and Chris, before settling down in Atlanta, where he continued to perform and introduces acts as a compere until his death in 1991.