It might seem convenient or a courtesy to write about Sammy Ridgley in an OffBeat issue that features his brother on the cover, and presents him with a Lifetime achievement Award, but Tommy Ridgley’s brother is also a very talented, entertaining and deserving R&B artist.

Born August, 6, 1943, Samuel Ridgley was the youngest of 17 children (Tommy was the oldest, born 18 years earlier) raised in the Shrewsbury section of Jefferson Parish on Andover Street.

“When I was growing up Tommy had left home and was living around the corner,” said Ridgley, who strongly resembles a slightly younger Tommy Ridgley. “I grew up singing gospel at the First Zion Baptist church and I was a good football player. I was an amateur boxer and won all but one fight. A policeman wanted to train me to box professionally, but my mother wouldn’t go for it.”

As an adolescent, Ridgley found out that there were certain perks to being the younger brother of a successful recording artist. “I was the second best dressed kid at John H. Martin High School,” laughed Ridgley. “Every time my brother went out of town, he’d bring me back a shirt, a pair of shoes, or a suit. In high school, I had 20 pairs of shoes and 13 suits. The only kid dressed better than me was Leonard Hampton. He worked at Dave the Tailor in Kenner and would go home at lunch and change his clothes. I could also get into all the dances by telling the guy at the door I was Tommy Ridgley’s brother.”

Ridgley often traveled with his brother to towns like Slidell and Bogalusa, and helped the band load and unload equipment. As he grew older, he got to see Smiley Lewis, Gatemouth Brown and Guitar Slim, who worked clubs in Shrewsbury.

“I used to really enjoy going to the Municipal Auditorium and seeing gospel shows,” said Ridgley. “I remember seeing Aretha Franklin, and Sam Cooke, when he sang with The Soul Stirrers. I also saw Archie Brown Lee & The Five Blind Boys-Lee was just devastating.”

However, Ridgley’s biggest early influence was Joe Tex. “Joe Tex was playing at the Dew Drop in the late 1950s,” said Ridgley. “This was way before he had any hit records. It was the most exciting thing I ever saw. He did all those James Brown dance steps that became famous and he could really work that mike stand. Ernie K-Doe was good at popping the mike stand, but not as good as Joe Tex. I remember leaving the Dew Drop that night thinking how great it would be to be a singer and be able to put a show on like that.”

In 1962, Ridgley got a chance to do just that.

“Kelly Jones was a saxophonist in my neighborhood that played with O.W. Scott & the Magnificent,” said Ridgley. “He heard I could sing and invited me to join the band as singer. We mostly played white college frat gigs and we made good money. We had a seven-piece band and we all got $100 a night. It was more money than I made in an entire week on my day job (working in a funeral home). The only black gig we had was playing Sunday nights for the drummer’s (Charles Phillips) aunt who owned a neighborhood bar.”

In 1965, Tommy arranged a recording session for his brother at Cosimo’s. Sammy cut “The Hully Gully” with Tommy, Eddie Do and Irma Thomas singing background, but the session was never released. Ridgley also recalls the Magnificents did some recordings at WYLD’s studio but doesn’t know what happened to the tapes.

“The Magnificents did really well until the Beatles came along,” said Ridgley. “All of a sudden we had to compete with the Gentilly Beades, the Uptown Beades and all the guitar bands. They started getting all the gigs and R&B was on the way out. Guys kept dropping out of the band and finally it dissolved.

“Around 1968, I started my own band, Operation Plus. That was the best little boogie-woogie band I ever heard. That’s my style. Tommy’s a real good balladeer, but I like that up tempo sound. We had the same weekend gig at the Young Man’s Night Club on the Causeway for 24 years. I had a lot fun with that band, we were like family.”

In 1972, Ridgley signed with local producer/promoter Elijah Walker. Walker had several New Orleans artists under contract and he was largely responsible for the success of King Floyd’s “Groove Me” and Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff.” Walker produced Ridgley’s first single, “I’ve Heard That Story” (a cover of his brother’s tune) and “Shake A Shake Sue.” The record was arranged by Wardell Quezergue and issued on King’s Row. The same team also worked on ”I’m Dreaming” b/w “Locked Up” which made some local noise.

“‘I’m Dreaming’ started to get some air play on WYLD and WBOK but it cost money to get a record played then,” said Ridgley. “I know because I put $250 in a jock’s hand. The jock told me for another $250, he’d wear the label off the motherfucker. ABC Paramount was interested in leasing ‘I’m Dreaming’ and doing an album. They offered $5,000, but Walker wanted $10,000. They thought that was too much money so nothing happened.”

Ridgley’s career was gathering momentum, but Walker’s unexpected death in 1973 suddenly stalled it.

“Walker had connections and he really believed that I was talented,” said Ridgley. “If he hadn’t died, I think I would have been a superstar.”

Ridgley continued to work local clubs and his band often provided accompaniment for Irma Thomas, King Floyd, Jean Knight and the Living Dead Revue. Ridgley also briefly worked with Carl Marshall’s group. However, offers to record weren’t immediately forthcoming.

Since the 1960s, Ridgley had been sitting in with his brother’s band, the Untouchables, and turned a few heads. In 1981, Tommy expanded his show and he invited Sammy to join his revue.

“Rose Davis and myself would open the show,” said Ridgley, who also maintained Operation Plus until the 1990s. “Working with Tommy is pretty easy. He keeps a pretty talented band, and by being around so long, he gets a lot of good gigs. We get along pretty well even though we don’t always see eye-to eye. Since Tommy took sick though, I’ve been trying to get him to take it a little easier and do more of the work before he takes over.”

Sammy was working with the Untouchables last year at the Treasure Chest Casino when he was approached by Donald Lang and guitarist Ernie Vincent, who operate Kolab Records.

“They told me they were working on some tunes and they wondered if I was interested in recording a CD with them,” said Ridgley. “They really flattered me. It took about a year to prepare for it but once we were ready, it came out great (Midnight Rmd~zvous is just now hitting the stores). We cut it at Gary Edwards’ studio on Canal Boulevard in just a few days. Everything was cut everything live except for. one track. I think we got a good R&B sound. We’ll make some noise if we can get some air play.”

Ridgley hopes the CD will lead to some more casino work and festival gigs, even though he’s already got a pretty full plate.

“I still 9-to-5 it and I don’t want to quit my job,” said Ridgley. “I’m a supervisor for community action at the Harvey Center. I’m also active in the Shrewsbury community (Ridgley lives just a few blocks from where he grew up). I also belong to the Young Men’s Union Benevolent Association, it’s one of the oldest organizations in Jefferson Parish and goes back to 1801. We visit the sick, help the poor pay for their medicine, and arrange for jazz funerals if we have to.

“Right now I feel blessed because I’m doing two things I really love. I’ve recorded my first CD and I get to help my community. Who could ask for more than that?”

Lafayette Zydeco/R&B ace Lynn August is recovering nicely from open-heart surgery performed in early-October. He expects to be working again soon and is looking forward to the reissue of 1995 recordings which will be issued as Creole People on Australia’s Aim label. Legendary Cajun Fiddler Chuck Guillory died in Alexandria in November. He was 79.