Raymond Hill

Raymond Earl Hill (April 29, 1933 – April 16, 1996) was an American tenor saxophonist and singer, best known as a member of Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in the 1950s. He also recorded as a solo artist for Sun Records and worked as a session musician.

Life and career Hill was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi. His parents, Henry and Ollie Mae Hill, ran cafés in Clarksdale as well as a juke joint north of Lyon that featured Delta blues musicians such as Sonny Boy Williamson and Robert Nighthawk. Hill learned to play the saxophone by getting Houston Stackhouse to strum the chords on his guitar then finding the corresponding notes on his saxophone. The record features a solo by 17-year-old Hill, after Brenston's cry of "blow your horn, Raymond, blow!." The single reached number-one on the Billboard R&B chart, and has often been called "the first rock and roll record."

Hill left Turner's band soon after the record was released. Turner stated Hill's mother wanted him to be the bandleader and they started to quarrel. Hill continued to play on some of Turner's records. He also worked as a session musician at Sun Records and other local labels, backing Howlin' Wolf and Little Junior Parker among others. and he is the lead performer on the instrumental "Ooh Poo Pah Doo (Part II)" by Jessie Hill. "Spread your fingers, Raymond!," shouts Jessie Hill who was no relation.

In October 1952, Hill recorded a session at Sun Studio with his own band Raymond Hill and his Jump For Joy, including Turner's former guitarist Willie Kizart. Sam Phillps offered the tapes to Chess Records and they were rejected. It was in the midst of Phillips falling out with the Chess brothers. The recordings were later released on the compilation albums Sun: The Roots Of Rock: Volume 3: Delta Rhythm Kings in 1976, Sun: The Roots Of Rock: Volume 11: Memphis Blues Sounds released in 1977, and Sun Records: The Blues Years 1950-1956 in 1984. Hill's band enjoyed some success back in Clarksdale and he held a disc jockey position at WROX to promote his band. The local Clarksdale Press Register newspaper reported that Hill was Hill also recorded with Turner's band, featuring Turner on guitar and Billy "The Kid" Emerson on piano, releasing the single "The Snuggle"/"Bourbon Street Jump" under his own name on Sun in 1954, both sides being instrumentals. He toured with Albert King in the 1960s. In 1979, he recorded an EP ("Going Down" / "Cotton Fields - Boss Man") with his wife Lillie Hill, which was released in 1980 for the newly founded High Water Recording Company, then he left the music business.

Discography

Solo singles

1954: "The Snuggle" / "Bourbon Street Jump" (Sun 204) – Raymond Hill 1980: "Going Down" / "Cotton Fields - Boss Man" (High Water 408) – Raymond Hill / Lillie Hill

Album appearances

1976: Sun: The Roots Of Rock: Volume 3: Delta Rhythm Kings (Charly Records) 1977: Sun: The Roots Of Rock: Volume 11: Memphis Blues Sounds (Charly Records) 1984: Sun Records: The Blues Years 1950-1956 (Sun Records) 2001: The Kings of Rhythm featuring Ike Turner – The Sun Sessions (Varèse Sarabande) 2011: Ike Turner – That Kat Sure Could Play!: The Singles 1951 To 1957 (Secret Records) 2017: Ike Turner – Sessionography Vol. 1 (Real Gone Records)