His son, Anthony Emerson, confirmed the loss of life however gave no trigger.
Mr. Emerson didn’t have a nationwide profile as a solo artist, however his information had been regional hits and had been extensively coated by others.
Bob Dylan took the guitar line from Mister Emerson’s “If Lovin’ Is Believing” for his 2020 tune “False Prophet”. Presley coated Mr. Emerson’s Solar recording “When It Rains It Pours” in 1957.
Then there’s his most enduring composition, “Pink Scorching”. The infectious tune, with lyrics rooted at school taunts (“My gal is purple scorching, your gal will not be dudley squat”), proved irresistible to a technology of rock-and-rollers.
Solar Information launched it twice, first by Mr. Emerson in 1955 and once more two years later by rockabilly singer Billy Lee Riley, who remodeled the rolling gospel rhythm right into a sooner boogie-woogie.
Over time, the tune has turn into normative in rock-and-roll, with at the least 36 recorded renditions. The Beatles carried out it as a part of their efficiency on the Star-Membership in Hamburg. Later, the tune was produced for Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs within the ’60s and rockabilly revivalist Robert Gordon within the ’70s.
Writing for Dwelling Blues in 1979, blues historian Jim O’Neill famous Mr. Emerson’s “wild assortment of distinctive songs, typically that includes uncommon chord progressions and novelty songs”, in addition to his present for a novel flip of phrase. Appreciated. The lyrics to “Buzzard Luck”, written for blues shouter Wynonna Harris, illustrate Mr. Emerson’s talent with humorous phrases and imagery:
identical to vultures flying excessive within the sky
nothing can kill if nothing will die
nothing boils within the pot besides water
And if the hearth wasn’t scorching it would not boil
Mr. Emerson started recording in 1953 with the assistance of Ike Turner, whom he had met whereas stationed at an Air Pressure base in Greenville, Miss.
Turner, then searching for expertise for Solar producer Sam Phillips, introduced them to Phillips’ Memphis studio, the place they made their first report, “If Lovin’ Is Believing”, with Turner on guitar. Throughout two years with the label, Mr. Emerson recorded information prized by blues and rock aficionados, together with “The Woodchuck,” a tune primarily based on a nursery rhyme, and the swinging, “Little Tremendous Wholesome Factor.”
However, in keeping with Mr. Emerson, Phillips promoted his white singers comparable to Presley, Lewis and Johnny Money to the close to exclusion of black musicians, and Mr. Emerson noticed his recording profession decline. “Sam all the time mentioned if he might discover a white singer who was black, he’d make one million {dollars}. In actual fact, I advised him that, although he all the time took credit score for it,” he advised the Tampa Bay Occasions in 2014. advised.
Regardless of emotions of jealousy, he held no sick will in the direction of Presley and recalled escorting him by way of the night time spots of Memphis’ black neighborhood.
“He was a stunning boy,” mentioned Mr. Emerson. “A bunch of bluesmen took him to a black nightclub, the Flamingo, in Memphis one night time so he might discover ways to dance. I feel he was scared.
Deciding for Chicago, he shared artists and repertoire with producer and songwriter Willie Dixon on Chess Information and different labels. He co-wrote the tune “It Does Me So Good” (1960) for blues artist Little Miss Cornshucks. Singer Ann-Margret, not often related to the blues, additionally recorded it the next yr. The pair additionally co-produced recordings by bluesmen Little Walter, Junior Wells and Lonnie Brooks.
When harmonica participant Sonny Boy Williamson (Rhys Miller) introduced the tune “Assist Me” (1963) to Chess, Mr. Emerson, taking part in organ on the session, instructed they use the riff from Booker T & the MG’s “Inexperienced Onions”. use. Then a present hit. This association grew to become a benchmark for Chicago blues bands.
However ultimately, his relationship with Dixon turned bitter.
“He was smarter than me as a result of he was within the report enterprise lengthy earlier than me,” he advised Dwelling Blues in 1979. Deliberately improper title. Amberson. Billy.
In 1966, Mr. Emerson took Phillips to court docket for non-payment of royalties for “Pink Scorching” and acquired $2,500. He used the funds to launch Tarpon Information, named after his hometown. Artists he produced included his new discovery, Southern soul singer Dennis LaSalle.
In later many years, Mr. Emerson, who had grown uninterested in the nightlife, grew to become a minister and choir director at a South Chicago church. A promoter who booked him in 1979 on American Folks Blues Legends, an annual revue that toured Europe, recalled that Mr. Emerson would sit alone on the entrance of the bus. When different performers broke a bottle behind the bus, Mr. Emerson chastised them with Bible exhortations.
Ultimately, he returned to Tarpon Springs to begin a small church inside strolling distance of his house. When followers tried to arrange interviews, he didn’t have interaction. However after a yr of telephone calls, a neighborhood reporter snapped him out of his silence.
Jeff Killenberg, a former Tampa Bay Occasions staffer, mentioned in an interview, “I’ve written loads about individuals who’ve by no means been interviewed, so I used to be sort of cool, however man, I could not cross it up.” “However then he referred to as me out of the blue and mentioned fairly formally, ‘That is Rev. Billy Emerson.’
“He lived in a rundown home with (a) piano close to the entrance door,” Klinkenberg continued. “He had a small recording studio in his home. It might have been a transformed lavatory.
After a later dialog with Mr. Emerson, Killenberg mentioned, “He set down his piano and commenced to sing. He nonetheless had a stunning voice. He started a phrase in falsetto. Once I began writing in my pocket book Once I did, he pounced on me and accused me of stealing his music.
William Robert Emerson was born on December 21, 1925, in Tarpon Springs. He first sang in church at age four and, as a young person, acquired piano classes from his uncle, a church pianist.
Mr. Emerson served within the Navy throughout World Conflict II and within the Air Pressure through the Korean Conflict. Between the 2 wars, she studied nursing at Florida A&M on an athletic scholarship and commenced taking part in piano in bands. His stage title got here from a cowboy outfit he wore in his first band.
A whole record of marriages and survivors couldn’t be decided.
In 2017, Mr. Emerson, now Rev. Emerson, acquired some overdue honor, a Florida Folks Heritage Award.
“I used to go as much as the white guys with a hat and a bag to assist purchase uniforms and bats and issues for the children,” he mentioned on the ceremony, in keeping with the Solar Coast Information. “I coached them and taught them play, however no one would put my title on a wall anyplace.”
“I am so grateful for that.”