Lee Dorsey

Irving Lee Dorsey (December 24, 1924 – December 1, 1986) was an American pop and R&B singer during the 1960s. His biggest hits were "Ya Ya" and "Working in the Coal Mine" (1966). Much of his work was produced by Allen Toussaint, with instrumental backing provided by the Meters.

Career Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Dorsey was a childhood friend of Fats Domino. He moved to Portland, Oregon when he was ten years old. He served in the United States Navy in World War II and began a career in prizefighting, boxing as a featherweight in Portland in the early 1950s. He fought under the name Kid Chocolate and was not successful, fighting only one time and being knocked out in the second round. He returned to New Orleans in 1955, where he opened an auto repair business as well as singing in clubs at night. These efforts were unsuccessful, but around 1960 he was discovered by A&R man Marshall Sehorn, who secured him a contract with Fury Records, owned by Bobby Robinson. After meeting songwriter and record producer Allen Toussaint at a party, he recorded "Ya Ya", a song inspired by a group of children chanting nursery rhymes. Although the follow-up "Do-Re-Mi" also made the charts, later releases on Fury were not successful. Dorsey returned to running his repair business,

1962 Ya! Ya!

Ride Your Pony - Get Out of My Life Woman

Working in the Coalmine - Holy Cow (The New Lee Dorsey)

1970 Yes We Can

1978 Night People

Compilation albums Gonh Be Funky (1980) All Ways Funky (1982) Holy Cow! The Best of Lee Dorsey (1985) 20 Greatest Hits (1991) Golden Classics (1994) Wheelin' and Dealin' - The Definitive Collection (1997) Holy Cow: The Very Best of Lee Dorsey (2005) The Best of Lee Dorsey (2006)

Singles Year Single Chart positions Album US Pop US R&B UK 1959 "Rock"b/w "Lonely Evening" (Non-album track) — — —Non-album tracks 1961 "Lover of Love"b/w "Lottie-Mo" — — — "Ya Ya"b/w "Give Me You" 7 1 — Ya! Ya! "Rock"b/w "Lonely Evening" (Non-album track)Second standard pressing — — —Non-album tracks "Do-Re-Mi"b/w "People Gonna Talk" 27 22 — Ya! Ya!1962 "Eenie-Meenie-Minee-Mo"b/w "Behind the 8-Ball" — — — "You Are My Sunshine"b/w "Give Me Your Love" — — —Non-album tracks1963 "Hoodlum Joe"b/w "When I Met My Baby" — — — "Hello Good Looking"b/w "Someday" — — —1964 "Organ Grinder Swing"b/w "I Gotta Find a New Love" — — — "You're Breaking Me Up"b/w "Messed Around (and Fell in Love)" — — — 1965 "Ride Your Pony"b/w "The Kitty Cat Song" 28 7 —Ride Your Pony - Get Out of My Life Woman "Work, Work, Work"b/w "Can You Hear Me" 121 — — 1966 "Get Out of My Life, Woman"b/w "So Long" 44 5 22 "Confusion"b/w "Neighbor's Daughter" — — 38The New Lee Dorsey "Working in the Coal Mine"b/w "Mexico" 8 5 8 "Holy Cow"b/w "Operation Heartache" (Non-album track) 23 10 6 1967 "Rain Rain Go Away"b/w "Gotta Find a Job" 105 — —Non-album tracks "My Old Car"b/w "Why Wait Until Tomorrow" 97 — — "Vista, Vista"b/w "I Can't Get Away" — — — "Go-Go Girl"b/w "I Can Hear You Callin'" 62 31 — "Love Lots of Lovin'"b/w "Take Care of Our Love" (Non-album track)Both sides with Betty Harris 110 — —Holy Cow! The Best of Lee Dorsey1968 "Cynthia"b/w "I Can't Get Away" — — —Non-album tracks "Wonder Woman"b/w "A Little Dab a Do Ya" (from The New Lee Dorsey) — — — "Four Corners"—Part 1b/w Part 2 — — — "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and WriteMyself a Letter"b/w "Little Ba-by" — — — 1969 "A Lover Was Born"b/w "What Now My Love" — — — "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On)"b/w "There Should Be a Book" (Non-album track) 95 33 —Holy Cow! The Best of Lee Dorsey "Give It Up"b/w "Candy Yam" — — —Non-album tracks 1970 "Yes We Can"—Part 1b/w "O Me-O, My-O" — 46 —Yes We Can "What You Want (Is What You Get)"b/w "I Can Hear You Callin'" — — —Non-album tracks1971 "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley"b/w "Tears, Tears and More Tears" — — —Yes We Can "Tears, Tears and More Tears"b/w "Occapella" — — —1972 "Freedom for the Stallion"b/w "If She Won't (Find Someone Who Will)" — — —Non-album tracks "When Can I Come Home"b/w "Gator Tail" (from Yes We Can) — — —1973 "On Your Way Down"b/w "Freedom for the Stallion" — — — 1978 "Night People"b/w "Can I Be the One" — 93 —Night People "Say It Again"b/w "God Must Have Blessed America" — — —1980 "Hey Babe"b/w "Say It Again" — — —1982 "Draining"b/w "Soul Mine" — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.