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Professor Longhair

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Professor Longhair
Professor Longhair
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Professor Longhair, born in Louisiana as Henry Roeland Byrd, was a New Orleans blues singer and pianist. Also known as Fess or Roy Bald Head Byrd, Longhair taught himself how to play piano in his thirties on a piano with missing keys, a prominent reason for his distinct playing style. He was present during the early rhythm and blues days in Louisiana, recording his first material in 1949, including the first version of his most famous song "Mardi Gras in New Orleans." Despite his quick success and natural talent behind the piano, he only had one commercial hit "Bald Head," and failed to make a crossover into white audiences. After the 1960s, during which Longhair's music career was put on hold, he appeared at the 1971 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and restored his old standing as an original blues singer. He continued playing high profile jazz festivals such as Newport Jazz Festival and Montreux Jazz Festival in 1973, and resumed recording albums throughout the 1970s. Professor Longhair died in his sleep in 1980, and was inducted into the Blues hall of Fame in 1981 for leaving a lasting impression on the blues genre and other recording artists, most notably Paul McCartney, who dedicated the B side of his 1985 single "Spies Like Us," to Longhair.
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