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Eddie Floyd

Eddie Floyd (born Eddie Lee Floyd, 25 June 1935, Montgomery, Alabama ) is a soul/R&B singer and songwriter, best known for his work on the Stax record label in the 1960s and 1970s.

Floyd was born in Alabama, but grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He founded The Falcons, which also featured "Sir" Mack Rice. They were forerunners to future Detroit vocal groups such as The Temptations and The Four Tops. Their 1959 hit "You're So Fine" has been said by some to have been the first true Soul song. Wilson Pickett was then recruited into the group and sang lead on the group's next success, "I Found a Love". Pickett then embarked on a solo career, and The Falcons disbanded.

Floyd then signed on with the Memphis based Stax Records as a songwriter in 1965. He wrote a hit song quickly with "Comfort Me" recorded by Carla Thomas. He then teamed with Stax's guitarist Steve Cropper to write songs for Wilson Pickett, now signed to Atlantic Records. Atlantic distributed Stax and Jerry Wexler brought Pickett down from New York to work with Booker T. & the MGs. The Pickett sessions were very successful, yielding several Pop and R&B hits, including the Floyd co-written "Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won't Do)" and "634-5789 (Soulsville USA)".

In 1966, Floyd recorded a song intended for Stax star Otis Redding. Jerry Wexler convinced Stax president Jim Stewart to release the version as it was on Eddie Floyd. The Steve Cropper/Eddie Floyd "Knock On Wood" launched Floyd's solo career and has been cut by over a hundred different artists from David Bowie to Count Basie. It became a huge Disco hit for Amii Stewart in 1979.

Floyd was one of Stax's most consistent and versatile artists. He scored several more hits on his own, including "I Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)" and "Raise Your Hand", which was covered by Janis Joplin and later Bruce Springsteen.

The song "Big Bird" (featuring Booker T. Jones on organ, Steve Cropper on guitar, and Duck Dunn on bass) was written while Floyd waited in a London airport for a plane back to the States for Otis Redding's funeral. Though not a US hit, it became an underground favorite in England, and was featured on the video game, Test Drive Unlimited.

Floyd's career didn't keep him from being one of the label's most productive writers. Virtually every Stax artist recorded Floyd material, often co-written with either Steve Cropper or Booker T. Jones, including Sam & Dave ("You Don't Know What You Mean to Me"), Rufus Thomas ("The Breakdown"), Otis Redding ("I Love You More Than Words Can Say"), and Johnnie Taylor's "Just the One (I've Been Looking For). The latter played during the opening credits of director Harold Ramis's feature film Bedazzled.

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Interview

Interview: Eddie Floyd

Interview: Eddie Floyd

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

As I write in today's Wall Street Journal (go here), the Stax Music Academy is working wonders down in Memphis giving at-risk high school students purpose and direction. Most interesting is that the academy treats soul like classical music and jazz—taking it seriously and teaching the next generation the essence and art of the music and performance. In case you hadn't noticed, soul is a dying art form. One of the former Stax stars who is actively involved in showing ...

140

Festival

Taj Mahal, Eddie Floyd Added to Long Beach Blues Festival Lineup, August 31

Taj Mahal, Eddie Floyd Added to Long Beach Blues Festival Lineup, August 31

Source: All About Jazz

Chuck Berry remains the Saturday headliner, and festival also features Pinetop Perkins, John Mayall, Charlie Musselwhite, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Roy Rogers, Ana Popovic and more.

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Blues and world music legend Taj Mahal and Booker T. Jones will co-headline the Sunday, August 31 show of the Long Beach Blues Festival. In addition, Stax soul veteran Eddie Floyd has been added to the Sunday roster. The festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, August 30-31 in its ...

145

Recording

Eddie Floyd Readies New Stax Album of Southern Soul Music

Eddie Floyd Readies New Stax Album of Southern Soul Music

Source: conqueroo

Eddie Loves You So contains new recordings of songs from his Stax and Falcons years, including songs he wrote for other artists

Soul man Eddie Floyd's first new album in six years, titled Eddie Loves You So, marks his return to the Stax Records logo. The singer who scored a monster soul classic with “Knock on Wood" in 1967 has returned to his Southern roots for the new CD. Included are 10 original songs written for fellow soul artists in ...

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Knock On Wood

Repertoire Records
1971

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Knock On Wood / Got...

Repertoire Records
0

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