Huey ‘Piano’ Smith, New Orleans R&B Great and Rock Pioneer, Dead at 89

Huey “Piano” Smith was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter who played a crucial role in shaping the sound of rhythm and blues and early rock and roll in the 1950s and 1960s. He is best known for his hit songs such as “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” and “Don’t You Just Know It,” which became classics of the era.

Born on January 26, 1934, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Smith grew up in a musically rich environment. His father was a guitarist, and his mother was a singer, and both played in local bands. Smith started playing the piano at a young age, and by the time he was a teenager, he had already established himself as a talented musician in the New Orleans music scene.

In the early 1950s, Smith formed his first band, Huey “Piano” Smith and His Clowns. The group’s lineup included some of the finest musicians in the city, such as saxophonist Lee Allen and drummer Earl Palmer, who later went on to become one of the most sought-after session musicians in the industry.

Smith’s music was a unique blend of rhythm and blues, boogie-woogie, and New Orleans-style jazz, which he called “rock and roll with a boogie beat.” His songs were characterized by catchy melodies, infectious rhythms, and playful lyrics, which made them an instant hit with audiences across the country.

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In 1957, Smith and his band recorded their first hit single, “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu,” which reached No. 5 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 52 on the pop chart. The song’s infectious melody and catchy lyrics, which described the symptoms of a cold in a humorous way, made it an instant classic and helped establish Smith as one of the leading figures of the rock and roll era.

Over the next few years, Smith and his band continued to produce a string of hit songs, including “Don’t You Just Know It,” “High Blood Pressure,” and “Sea Cruise,” which became staples of the era. Smith’s music was a major influence on other artists of the time, such as Little Richard, Fats Domino, and Jerry Lee Lewis, who adopted his boogie-woogie piano style and energetic stage presence.

Despite his success, Smith’s career was cut short in the early 1960s, when he was drafted into the Army and sent to serve in Germany. When he returned home, he found that the music industry had changed, and the style of music that he had helped create was no longer in fashion. He continued to perform and record music sporadically over the next few decades, but he never achieved the same level of success as he had in the past.

In the late 1980s, Smith’s music enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, thanks in part to its use in films and TV shows such as “The Big Easy” and “American Graffiti.” Smith himself also returned to the stage and performed at various music festivals and events, where he was welcomed as a living legend of the rock and roll era.

Notably Johnny Rivers covered “Rockin’ Pneumonia” in 1973 to great success.