Lloyd Price Biography

The R&B vocalist Lloyd Price was born in 1933 in Louisiana. Long before Lloyd Price, who would quickly become known as “Mr. Personality,” rose to fame with his hit “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” in 1952, Price grew up in the New Orleans area. With the city’s heavy musical influences, it’s no surprise that Lloyd began performing in his school and church choirs, and so by the time Specialty Records came to town to scout for new talents, it was inevitable that Lloyd Price would garner their attention.

The record label signed Price and established a backup band for him, releasing his debut, “Lawdy  Miss Clawdy” to great success. But Lloyd’s initial achievements were derailed after he was drafted to serve in the Korean War, and upon his return he discovered that much had changed, and his position as a rising star had been replaced by other artists.

Lloyd Price soldiered on, though, forming KRC Records and releasing a secondary “debut,” with the song ‘Just Because.” The success of the single garnered the attention of ABC Records, which re-signed Lloyd Price to his second contract. In the next few years, Price released a string of hits, including: “Stagger Lee,” “I’m Gonna Get Married,” and “personality.” Lloyd Price was back on the charts again, and this time he remained and became one of America’s most enduring R&B artists.

Throughout the course of his career, Lloyd Price’s twenty plus album releases brought fans the hit singles: “Come Into My Heart,” “Wont’cha Come Home,” “Question,” “Misty,” “Bad Conditions,” and “Trying to Slip (Away.)” By the mid 1970’s, Lloyd Price had stopped releasing music and instead turned his attention to other business ventures, including owning a Manhattan restaurant-nightclub and launching a business in real estate.

In the new millennium, though, Lloyd Price returned to the stage to tour Europe and perform alongside such legendary artists as Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richards, and Ben E. King. He also established a company which features Southern-style foods, and he penned his autobiography, The True King of the Fifties: The Lloyd Price Story, in 2011. Lloyd Price continues to perform, and in 2010 he appeared on the hit HBO series Treme.