Unless you’ve read several vanity/self-published books, I doubt you’ve ever encountered a publication quite like this one. Lloyd Price is definitely a most important figure in the pantheon of New Orleans music, sharing the same pedestal with Longhair, Domino, Bartholomew and Toussaint. However, he often gets overlooked because he left New Orleans more than 50 years ago. Bear Family’s recent 34-track tribute, Lloyd Price Rocks, underlines the man’s talent and importance.
The majority of The True King of the 50’s: The Lloyd Price Story comes from a short interview Price did with Waller. Despite the book’s coffee- table size, the average reader can finish this inside 60 minutes, even if the phone rings a couple times. Granted, there’s some important information here and some fascinating stories—particularly Price’s recollections of Kenner when it was a rural community, and the genesis of the landmark hit, “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”—but there’s so much missing and irrelevant information vis a vis Price. Surely, Price and Waller had to realize anyone picking up a book about Lloyd Price doesn’t want to read sections about the Everly Brothers and the Beatles.
While Waller is obviously a business associate of Price’s—there’s nothing wrong with that—his journalistic skills leave a lot to be
desired. His favorite, and most annoying, response to a Price tale is, “That’s what I’m talking about!” While it’s noted that Price was the first African-American to sell his pizza kit to Wal-Mart and 7-Eleven, there’s no mention that in the mid-1950s he was one of the first blacks, and first recording artists, to start their own label. There’s also no mention of his association with ABC- Paramount, which released the bulk of his hits, nor any mention of his role as a prize fight promoter who once was a partner with Don King. One interesting part of the book though is where Price touts the local deejays of the day and the role they played in creating hit records. There are some great photographs found here, but honestly, the book is laid out like a picture Bible.
If your public library picks up this book, it’s worth checking out. If you’re going to shell out hard earned money on a Lloyd Price project, Lloyd Price Rocks is a better testament to his talent.
