Arthur Prysock
Arthur Prysock was perfectly at home singing jazz, blues, or R&B, but his smooth-as-silk baritone made him a superbly effective (and underappreciated) pop crooner in the manner of his chief influence, Billy Eckstine.
Prysock was born January 2, 1929, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and was the brother of saxophonist Red Prysock. As a teenager, he moved to Hartford, Connecticut, where he worked in the aviation industry and sang with several small bands by night. He was discovered in 1944 by jump blues bandleader Buddy Johnson, who signed him as lead male vocalist and brought him to Harlem. Prysock sang on a number of Johnson's hits for the Decca label before going solo in 1952 to tour the Chitlin' Circuit (sometimes with his brother). He quickly landed an R&B hit with "I Didn't Sleep a Wink Last Night," and subsequently made his name among Black audiences as an emotive balladeer.
During the '50s, Prysock recorded for several smaller labels, but his popularity in concert gradually gained him more exposure. He began a long relationship with the Old Town label, scoring R&B hits with "I Worry 'Bout You" in 1958, Ray Noble's old ballad "The Very Thought of You" in 1960, and "It's Too Late Baby, It's Too Late" in 1965. That year, he fulfilled a dream by recording an album with Count Basie on Verve, the label he remained with for most of the '60s. Prysock performed at Carnegie Hall in 1966, and hosted his own TV show for a short time. By the end of the '60s, he had returned to Old Town, where he recorded several albums while touring the club circuit. He had an unexpected disco hit in 1976 with "When Love Is New," but otherwise remained largely out of sight.
Prysock returned to active recording in 1985 with the well-received A Rockin' Good Way album on Milestone, and also sang a well-known jingle for Lowenbrau beer. Two more albums for Milestone followed, 1986's This Guy's in Love with You and 1987's Today's Love Songs, Tomorrow's Blues, before Prysock receded from the limelight again. He died on June 21, 1997.
© Steve Huey /TiVo
Discography
18 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Arthur Prysock/Count Basie
Jazz - Released by Verve on 1 Jan 1966
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
The Best Of Arthur Prysock: The Milestone Years (Album Version)
Jazz - Released by Milestone on 29 Aug 2000
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
The Best of Arthur Prysock: The Milestone Years (Album Version)
Jazz - Released by Fantasy Records on 29 Aug 2000
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
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All My Life (Digitally Remastered)
Pop - Released by Essential Media Group on 24 Sep 2013
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
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Arthur Prysock Does It Again! (Digitally Remastered)
Pop - Released by Essential Media Group on 24 Sep 2013
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
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Here's to Good Friends (Digitally Remastered)
Pop - Released by Essential Media Group on 3 Sep 2013
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
All I Need Is You Tonight (Original Mix)
Dance - Released by Nervous Records on 1 Jan 1976
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Good Rockin´ Tonight
Jazz - Released by SKEETCHES on 24 Sep 2018
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Early Years: Selected Singles 1946-62
Soul - Released by ACROBAT on 10 Mar 2023
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
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When Love Is New (Original Mix)
Dance - Released by Nervous Records on 1 Jan 1976
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Golden Selection (Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Master Tape Records on 24 Apr 2020
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
I Didn't Sleep a Wink Last Night
Pop - Released by Black Sheep Music on 16 Aug 2013
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Arthur Prysock Sings Only For You
Soul - Released by PnR on 24 Dec 2012
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo