Baby Huey - California Dreamin' | Soul Sunday

Опубликовано 1 марта 2026, 15:00

In the late 1960s, an unlikely musical intersection conjoined hippie, trippy psychedelia and what until that era had been straight-up soul. Psychedelic soul created by acts like James “Baby Huey” Ramey was out to blow minds, sport outrageous get-ups, and unleash earth-shaking riffs with which new proto-funk fans could get down. The Richmond, Indiana-born Ramey, a singer since boyhood, was 19 when he brought his vocal skills and powerful stage presence to Chicago in 1960. Soon working in clubs, he was inspired by his rather bulky physique to adopt the nickname “Baby Huey,” after an outsize cartoon character. In 1963, Ramey, trumpeter Melvin Jones, and guitarist Johnny Ross, calling themselves Baby Huey & the Babysitters, began to perform, write, and record for local labels. Fronted by Ramey, the outfit built a following with material like “Monkey Man,” “Beg Me,” “Messin’ With the Kid,” and “Just Being Careful.” The group took note of the wild look and sound cultivated by Sly and the Family Stone. Ramey grew out his hair, began wearing African-inspired clothing, and freestyling improvised lyrics in the vein of what was to become hip-hop. In 1969, Curtis Mayfield, impressed by Ramey’s talent, signed him to Curtom Records. Baby Huey recorded an LP for Mayfield’s label but tragically succumbed to a fatal heart attack before the LP could be released. He was 26. The posthumously released, Mayfield-produced The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend presented two songs by Ramey, his cover of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” and several Mayfield tunes. Initially a flop, the record is now regarded as a classic. Hip-hop has enthusiastically sampled Baby Huey, whose music has also been featured in film and TV. — Michael Dolan

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