Roy Milton - Hop, Skip And Jump (1948)

US R&B-Charts: No. 3 (02.10.1948) 11 Weeks Roy Bunny Milton (July 31, 1907 – September 18, 1983) was an American R&B and jump blues singer, drummer and bandleader. Milton's grandmother was Chickasaw. He was born in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, and grew up on an Indian reservation before moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma. He joined the Ernie Fields band in the late 1920s as singer and, later, drummer. After moving to Los Angeles, in 1933, he formed his own band, the Solid Senders, with Camille Howard on piano. He performed in local clubs and began recording in the 1940s, his first release being "Milton's Boogie" on his own record label. His big break came in 1945, when his "R.M. Blues", on the new Juke Box label, became a hit, reaching number 2 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 20 on the pop chart. Its success helped establish Art Rupe's company, which he shortly afterwards renamed Specialty Records. In 1950, Milton and his Orchestra performed at the sixth famed Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles which was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on June 25. Also featured on the same day were Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra, Pee Wee Crayton's Orchestra, Dinah Washington, Tiny Davis & Her Hell Divers, and other artists. 16,000 were reported to be in attendance and the concert ended early because of a fracas in the crowd while Hampton's band played "Flying Home". Milton and his band became a major touring attraction, and he continued to record successfully for Specialty Records through the late 1940s and early 1950s. He recorded a total of 19 Top Ten R&B hits, the biggest being "Hop, Skip and Jump" (number 3 R&B, 1948), "Information Blues" (number 2 R&B, 1950), and "Best Wishes" (number 2 R&B, 1951). He left Specialty in 1955. However, releases on other labels were unsuccessful, and with the emergence of rock and roll his style of music became unfashionable by the middle of the decade. He continued to perform, appearing as a member of the Johnny Otis band at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1970, and he resumed his recording career in the 1970s with albums for Kent Records (Roots of Rock, Vol. 1: Roy Milton, Kent KST-554) and for the French label Black & Blue Records (Instant Groove, Black and Blue 33.114). Milton died in Los Angeles on September 18, 1983, aged 76. A cover version of his song "Reelin' and Rockin'" was recorded by the group Rocket Sixty-Nine for their 1996 album Jump Shot! Roy Milton (* 31. Juli 1907 in Wynnewood, Oklahoma; † 18. September 1983 in Los Angeles, Kalifornien) war ein US-amerikanischer Schlagzeuger, Sänger, Songschreiber und Bandleader, der vor allem im Bereich des Rhythm & Blues hervortrat. Seine frühen Jahre verbrachte Milton in einem Reservat in Oklahoma; sein Großvater war Indianer. In den 1920er Jahren trat er als Sänger und Schlagzeuger in Tulsa auf. In den 1920er Jahren war Milton Mitglied des Ernie Fields Orchestra, in dem er zunächst als Sänger und schließlich Schlagzeuger tätig war. 1933 ging er nach Los Angeles und gründete seine Band The Solid Senders. Sängerin war Anfang der 1950er Jahre Lil Greenwood, musikalischer Direktor seiner Gruppe war Bobby Smith, ein ehemaliges Mitglied des Erskine Hawkins Orchestra, der den Hit „Tippin’ In“ für Milton komponierte. Dieser war mit seinen Hits in dieser Zeit ein erfolgreicher Star in den Nachtclubs; 1946 hatten sie mit R.M. Blues einen Hit in den R&B Charts, dem weitere folgten, darunter Milton’s Boogie, True Blues, Hop, Skip and Jump, Information Blues, Oh Babe (im Original von Louis Prima), So Tired und Best Wishes. Der Erfolg ließ nach, als der Rock ’n’ Roll den Rhythm and Blues in den Hintergrund drängte. Milton versuchte mit Albentiteln wie The Roots of Rock und Instant Groove am Rockboom teilzuhaben. Beim Monterey Jazz Festival 1970 spielte er Schlagzeug in der All-Star-Band von Johnny Otis und war auch als Sänger aktiv. Er blieb weiterhin bis zu seinem Tod im Jahr 1983 aktiv, u. a. arbeitete er an der Westküste in Jingles und hatte Fernsehauftritte, wie in der landesweit gesendeten Sanford and Son Show. 1991 wurde Roy Milton in die Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, 2006 in die Blues Hall of Fame aufgenommen.

Added 17 May 2026