Email this article | Printer friendly page Hayward “Chuck” Carbo1926-2008By Jeff Hannusch |
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Hayward "Chuck" Carbo, one of the last connections to the classic era of New Orleans rhythm and blues died, July 11, 2008, after a lengthy battle with lung cancer. He was 82. Carbo is best known for being the distinct lead vocalist with the Spiders, New Orleans’ premier R&B vocal group.
“Chuck wasn’t just an important R&B or doo-wop artist,” says out Deacon John Moore. “He came out of the church. He was one of the members of the Zion Harmonizers, along with Sherman Washington. When the Spiders started recording [R&B], they brought that old-time gospel sound with them. Their first record, ‘I Didn’t Want to Do It’ and ‘You’re the One,’ was a big, local jukebox hit. The jukeboxes were a barometer for local radio and they picked up on it. Then it broke nationally and the group was on its way.”
According to Cosimo Matassa, who briefly managed the Spiders, “Outside of Johnny Adams, I don’t think there was a better vocalist in New Orleans. Johnny could reach those high notes, but nobody sang with more emotion than Chuck.”
Born in Houma, Louisiana, January 11, 1926, Carbo and his family moved to the Zion City section of New Orleans in 1930. After a WW II stint in the Coast Guard, Carbo and his brother Leonard (“Chick”) formed the popular gospel quartet, the Delta Southernaires. In 1953, the Southernaires signed with Imperial Records and entered the studio to record a gospel record, which they did. It was engineer Cosimo Matassa who convinced them to try recording R&B and the result was the previously mentioned R&B top ten two-sided hit.
The group began touring the country on the strength of its hit and continued a string of spirited local hits produced by Dave Bartholomew. The Spiders were back in the R&B top ten the following year with the infectious “Witchcraft,” a song later covered by Elvis Presley. The following year, Chuck was forced out of the touring version of the Spiders by the rest of the group, but Bartholomew insisted on using Carbo on recording sessions until 1957. That same year, Carbo recorded two singles under his own name for Imperial, scoring locally with “Bells in My Heart.”
In 1960, Carbo had a one-off single for ERAH, before teaming up with a young Mac Rebennack (in his pre-Dr. John days) for a handful of singles on Ace and Ace-distributed labels. However, by the mid-1960s, New Orleans R&B was commercially out of vogue, making recordings opportunities and live gigs scarce. With a large family to support, Carbo—a skilled carpenter—took a job in a lumber yard.
In 1989, Carbo made a comeback of sorts, recording the Edward Frank-produced “Life’s Up and Downs,” issued on the UK 504 label. The LP included a huge local Mardi Gras hit, “Meet Me with Your Black Drawers On.” it’s success attracted the attention of Rounder Records, who recorded two well received Carbo albums.
“Chuck will be remembered as a trailblazer,” concludes Moore. “He was a pioneer R&B singer.”
Carbo leaves a wife, Gloria, and nine sons and daughters.
Published August 2008, OffBeat Louisiana Music & Culture Magazine, Volume 21, No. 8.
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