Eddie Bo

Edwin Joseph Bocage (September 20, 1930 – March 18, 2009), known as Eddie Bo, was an American singer and pianist from New Orleans. Schooled in jazz, he was known for his blues, soul and funk recordings, compositions, productions and arrangements. He debuted on Ace Records in 1955 and released more single records than anyone in New Orleans other than Fats Domino.

Eddie Bo worked and recorded for more than 40 different record labels, including Ace, Apollo, Arrow, At Last, Blue-Jay, Bo-Sound, Checker, Chess, Cinderella, Nola, Ric (for which business his carpentry skills were used to build a studio), Scram, Seven B, and Swan. Allmusic calls him "a sorely underappreciated veteran of the New Orleans R&B scene." There he learned piano and music theory, and to sight read and arrange music. At this time he was influenced by Russian classical pianist Vladimir Horowitz and was introduced to jazz pianists Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson. He began playing in the New Orleans jazz scene, but switched to R&B after deciding it was more popular and brought in more money. He played at the Club Tijuana under the name of Spider Bocage, later forming the Spider Bocage Orchestra, which toured the country supporting singers Big Joe Turner, Earl King, Guitar Slim, Johnny Adams, Lloyd Price, Ruth Brown, Smiley Lewis, and The Platters. From 1959, he recorded for Ric Records, and had regional hits including "Every Dog Has Its Day" and "Tell It Like It Is", and in 1961 recorded the novelty dance song "Check Mr Popeye", reissued nationally by Swan Records, which became one of his best-known recordings though not a national hit.

During the 1960s, Bo continued to release singles on a string of local record labels, including Rip, Cinderella, and Blue Jay, though only a few achieved national distribution. On these records, his style got funkier, and he used more of his jazz training, helping to create a distinctively different and influential New Orleans piano style. He also worked as a record producer, with musicians including Irma Thomas, Chris Kenner, Johnny Adams, The song, on the Scram label, was recorded in just one take. He then formed his own label, Bo-Sound, and had another regional hit with "Check Your Bucket". He continued to perform frequently in New Orleans and at festivals elsewhere, and toured intermittently. Like his home and recording studio it was hit by Hurricane Katrina while Bo was on tour in Paris. Due to Bo's carpentry and bricklaying skills he took on the task of completing the hurricane-damage repairs himself. After his death, his body was cremated on the instructions of a woman claiming to be his sister, although other close relatives of Bo have subsequently claimed that she was unrelated to him.

Awards and recognitions He won many music awards, including two Lifetime Achievement awards from the South Louisiana Music Association and Music/Offbeat Best of the Beat.

Discography

Singles 1955: "Baby" / "So Glad" (Ace) 1955: "I'm So Tired" / "We Like Mambo" (B-side is actually Huey "Piano" Smith) (Ace) 1956: "I'm Wise" / "Happy Tears" (Apollo) 1956: "Please Forgive Me" / "I'll Be Satisfied" (Apollo) 1956: "I Cry Oh" / "My Heart Was Meant For You" (Apollo) 1956: "Tell Me Why" / "Hey Bo" (instrumental) (Apollo) 1956: "Dearest One" / "Too Much of a Good Thing" (Apollo) 1957: "Every Day and Every Night" / "Indeed I Do" (Checker) 1958: "My Dearest Darling" / "Oh-Oh" (Chess) 1958: "Walk That Walk" / "Hep Hep Hooray" (Chess) 1959: "I'll Keep On Trying" / "I Love To Rock and Roll" (Ace) 1959: "Hey There Baby" / "I Need Someone" (Ric) 1959: "You Got Your Mojo Working" / "Everybody Knows" (Ric) 1960: "Tell It Like It Is" / "Every Dog Got His Day" (Ric) 1960: "Warm Daddy" / "Ain't It the Truth Now" (Ric) 1961: "It Must Be Love" / "What a Fool I've Been (Ric) 1961: "Dinky Doo" / "Everybody, Everything Needs Love" (Ric) 1961: "Dinky Doo" / "Everybody, Everything Needs Love" (Capitol) 1961: "I Got To Know" / "Bless You Darling" (Ric) 1962: "Check Mr. Popeye (Part I)" / "Now Let's Popeye (Part II)" (Ric) 1962: "Check Mr. Popeye" / "Now Let's Popeye" (Swan) 1962: "Baby I'm Wise" / "Roamin–Titis" (Ric) 1962: "Let's Limbo" / "Mo–Jo" (Rip) 1962: "You're With Me" / "You're The Only One" (Rip) 1962: "You're With Me" / "You're The Only One" (Chess) 1962: "Woman" / "Temptation" (Rip) 1962: "Mama Said" / "Tee Na Na" by Reggie Hall (Rip) arranged/conducted by Eddie Bo 1963: "Te Na Na Nay" / "Twinkle Toes" (At Last) 1963: "Hold Me" / "I Found a Little Girl" (At Last) 1963: "Reassure Me" / "Shake, Rock and Soul" (Cinderella) 1963: "Just Like a Monkey" / "Have Mercy on Me" (Cinderella) 1964: "You Are Going To Be Somebody's Fool" / "A Heap See (But a Few Know)" (Nola) 1964: "Fare Thee Well" / "Let's Let It Roll" (Arrow) 1964: "Fare Thee Well" / "Let's Let It Roll" (Chess) 1964: "Gotta Have More" / "Come With Me" (Blue Jay) 1964: "The River of Tears" / "Fight It" (Blue Jay) 1964: "Danger" / "Fee-Fie-Jum-Bo-Li" (Blue Jay) 1965: "Our Love (Will Never Falter)" / "Lucky In Love" (Blue Jay) 1966: "What You Gonna Do" / "Fallin' In Love Again" (Seven B) 1966: "From This Day On" / "Let Our Love Begin" (Seven B) 1967: "Just Friends" / "Fence of Love" (Seven B) 1967: "All I Ask of You" / "Skate It Out" (Seven B) 1967: "Solid Foundation" / "S.G.B. (Stone Graveyard Business)" (Seven B) 1968: "Lover and a Friend" / "If I Had To Do It Over" with Inez Cheatham (Seven B) 1968: "Lover and a Friend" / "If I Had To Do It Over" with Inez Cheatham (Capitol) 1969: "Love Has Been Good" / "That Certain Someone" (Scram) 1969: "Hook and Sling (Parts 1 & 2)" (Scram) 1969: "If It's Good To You (It's Good For You) (Parts 1 & 2)" (Scram) 1970: "We're Doing It (Thang) (Parts 1 & 2)" (Bo-Sound) 1970: "Can You Handle It" / "Don't Turn Me Loose" (Bo-Sound) 1970: "Check Your Bucket (Parts 1 & 2)" (Bo-Sound) 1971: "The Rubber Band (Parts 1 & 2)" (Knight)

Albums

Filmography 2006: New Orleans Music in Exile