Dave "Baby" Cortez

David Cortez Clowney (August 13, 1938 – May 31, 2022), known by the stage name Dave "Baby" Cortez, was an American pop and R&B organist and pianist, best known for his 1959 hit, "The Happy Organ". His father played the piano, and encouraged him to pursue a musical career. Clowney played the piano for 10 years, then he took up the organ. and also sang with two doo-wop groups, the Pearls and the Valentines, in the mid-1950s.

"The Happy Organ" was the first pop/rock hit to feature the electronic organ as lead instrument; it featured drummer Gary Hammond and was co-written by the celebrity photographer James J. Kriegsmann and frequent collaborator Kurt Wood. The guitar solo was by session musician Wild Jimmy Spruill. The record, crediting Clowney as Dave "Baby" Cortez, was the first instrumental No. 1 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart. The original 45-rpm single was released on the independent Clock Records label,

Cortez lived latterly in The Bronx, New York City. He had a daughter who he was not in regular contact with, though this was not due to estrangement, but because he was highly reclusive.

1 5 6

February 19, 1959

61 May 25, 1959

10 9 6 Julia / Chess June 19, 1962

67 32 Chess September 21, 1962

96 Emit September 28, 1962

91

March 11, 1963

76 July 21, 1963 1966

91 Roulette May 12, 1966 1973

45 All Platinum April 13, 1973