Clarence Samuels
By Marv Goldberg
© 2024 by Marv Goldberg
Near the beginning of his career, Clarence Samuels appeared with Roy Brown, to whom he'd be compared for years. Although Clarence had a very nice voice, it rarely showed the personality that Roy allowed to come through. Clarence was a singer, a musician (drums), a bandleader, an MC, and the operator of various carnival shows.
Clarence Samuels was born on October 30, 1923 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His name at birth was "Clarence Wilhelma Samuel". This is the way he registered with Social Security in January 1942. That same month, on his World War 2 draft registration, they wrote down "Clarence Wilhelm Samuel", although he just signed as "Clarence Samuel". In July 1948, he amended his Social Security account to "Clarence Wilhelma Samuels", and in March 1996, it became "Clarence Wilhelm Samuels".
His brother, Clifford, also filled out his draft registration as "Samuel" (which is inscribed on his gravestone).
Clarence's father was Edward Collins Samuel, who never spelled it "Samuels" (although Clarence told Social Security that his father was Edward C. Samuels). Edward was a trumpet player in a local band called the Roseland Six. He always appears in Baton Rouge City Directories as a "musician" (as he does in the 1930 census). His World War 2 registration has him as a "transient musician".
Clarence's mother gives us another headache. On his Social Security account, Clarence called her "Beulah Henderson". In the 1930 census, after she and Edward were divorced, she was "Beulah H. Samuel". In the 1936 Baton Rouge City Directory, she's Beulah "Samuels", while her ex-husband is Edward "Samuel". However, in that 1930 census, Beulah is in the household of Jerry Woodard, and is enumerated as his daughter. So was her maiden name "Woodard" or "Henderson"? I've been unable to unravel that, although my vote is cast for "Henderson" (even worse, some family trees have one and some the other). For whatever it's worth, on their World War 2 draft registrations, both Clarence and Clifford gave their aunt, Ethel Henderson, of Baton Rouge, as The Person Who Will Always Know Your Address. Notice that neither gave his mother as that person; she'd disappeared from Baton Rouge City Directories after 1937, and possibly had died by that time.
In the 1929 directory, Edward and Beulah are still married. In the 1930 census, they're at different addresses. By 1936, Edward had remarried and, as I said, Beulah never appears after 1937.
In 1930, Beulah H. Samuel had three children, two sons and a daughter: Clifford (8), Clarence (6), and Willie B. (4). Willie B. only shows up again in the 1942, 1947, and 1948 Baton Rouge City Directories (as a cook and a waitress at the Nu-Way Cafe); she then disappears from history. (His son, Clarence Jr., wasn't even aware that there had been a sister.) They were all part of the household of Jerry Woodard (who never shows up anywhere else either). As I said before, Beulah is listed as his daughter. (Actually, it seems to say "Daughter", which was crossed out and "Daughter" again written on top of it. Plus, there's something else in that box that I can't read.) Beulah said she was divorced, although the notation for "married" was written over that. Since she's "Beulah H.", can we assume the "H" is for "Henderson"? I wouldn't assume anything at this point.
Edward Samuel is living at another address, and said he was divorced. The 1930 census asked how old you were at the time of your first marriage. Beulah said 15 and Edward said 16. Ah, young love.
[You have to admit this stuff is much more interesting than another boring singing career.]
As I said before, Edward Samuel was a trumpet player in the Roseland Six. They played for the Franklin High School New Year's Eve dance on December 31, 1936 and were at John's Playhouse (Baton Rouge) in January 1941. (Possibly Clarence sang with them at that engagement.) Those were the only specific mentions of the group I could find. Around 1940, the Roseland Six hooked up with the John R. Ward traveling carnival (which wintered in Baton Rouge), but there was never an ad that mentioned their name in conjunction with the show.
There was a June 27, 1941 dance at the Blue Venetian Room in Franklin, Louisiana, which featured the music of Edward Collins Samuel. Presumably this was with the Roseland Six, but only his name was mentioned.
One more mention of his father: in 1943 Edward Samuel was the manager of the Toots Johnson Orchestra (from Baton Rouge).
When Clarence registered for the draft, on January 30, 1942, it was in Savannah, Georgia, where he was appearing at the Dunbar Theater. His birth year was entered as 1923, but a 4 was written over the 3 (however, since he said he was 18 and born in October, the 1923 is correct). There were no ads for the theater, so I don't know who he was appearing with.
The first professional mention of Clarence is when he was a part of Charles A. Taylor's Bronze Manikins, a touring stage show with a constantly changing cast. In early January 1944, they played Scott's Theater Restaurant in Kansas City. The January 8 Pittsburgh Courier mentioned the show and its cast: Baby Seals, Tiny Mayberry, Jessie Davis, Kid Sporty, and Clarence Samuel, "romantic songster". An October 1943 article had also given the names of the cast; his wasn't there. Therefore, he probably joined in very late 1943 to be part of the January 1944 presentation.
After Scott's, the Bronze Manikins went to the Deluxe Theater in East St. Louis, Illinois. Again, "Clarence Samuel" is listed with the cast.
When the troupe played the Sunset Terrace Ballroom (Indianapolis) in early February 1944, his name was mentioned as "Clarence Samuells". Although the reporter couldn't spell, it looks like this is when Clarence added the "s" to his name. However, this is the last time he was mentioned as a member. Therefore, he was probably only with the Manikins for less than two months.
In August 1944, as "Clarence W. Samuel", he married Coralee Scott in New Orleans. They had two children, Clarence W. Samuels, Jr, in October 1945, and Clifford E. Samuels in July 1948. The marriage didn't last (they were separated by the time of the 1950 census), and by June 1958, she'd become Coralee Johnson.
Clarence started with trombonist Leroy Hardison's Carolina Cotton Pickers in May 1945. The prior vocalist was Cecil Groves, who was advertised until August 11, 1945 (therefore, they were both there for a while). Clarence was first mentioned in a May 26, 1945 blurb in the Indianapolis Recorder:
The Carolina Cotton Pickers, nationally known dance orchestra, opened an extended engagement at swank Club Riviera here in St. Louis this week.
Fronted by Clarence Samuelt [sic], one of the season's greatest vocal finds, the Cotton Pickers are considered noe [sic] of the nation's leading musical aggregation [sic].
He's now definitely "Samuels", even if the paper's proofreader was on an extended vacation.
On September 21, they were at the Blue Moon Ballroom in Tucson, Arizona. The ad has a photo of the Cotton Pickers, but it had first appeared in June 1944, before Clarence joined.
The September 20, 1945 California Eagle wrote that the Cotton Pickers would be at the Elks Auditorium (Los Angeles) on the 23rd, featuring "Clarence Samuels, sensational vocalist". Clarence was named in ads and blurbs for Rudy's Rendezvous in Coos Bay, Oregon on October 3, 1945; the Woodland Lake Club in Jonesboro, Tennessee on March 7, 1946; the Majestic Theater in Chillicothe, Ohio on April 24; the Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College's prom on May 10; and Liberty City Amusement Park (Miami) on May 18-19. That was, however, the last time his name was associated with the band.
Everywhere it says that Clarence had moved to New Orleans in 1943, and maybe he did. However, the 1947 Baton Rouge City Directory (probably prepared in late 1946), shows "Clarence Samuel" and wife Coralee (mangled to "Curley") living next door to his father, Edward. "Lucky Spot" is next to Edward's name (presumably the place he's performing), but Clarence's entry calls him a "laborer". So, I'll go out on a limb and say he didn't permanently relocate to New Orleans until sometime in 1947.
By March 4, 1947, Clarence had been added to the Claiborne Williams Orchestra, which had been playing at the Cedar Lane Club in Opelousas, Louisiana since January. The ad touts Clarence's "Open The Door, Richard" routine. The Eunice, Louisiana News of March 14 said:
[Leader George] Wilson is especially proud of his front man and singer, Clarence Samuels, and that is where our fame came in [whatever that means].
Following our interview, Samuels dedicated his specialty, "Open The Door Richard" to us. It is a great piece of showmanship and you should see it, if you are one of those people who like "Open The Door Richard". [At this time, over 20 versions of the song had been released, and, with all the radio plays, some people were thoroughly sick of it.]
That month was, however, the only time that Clarence was advertised as being with that band. In late May, he was the singer with the Jimmy Williams Orchestra, which was now at the Cedar Lane Club. The ad said that Clarence was "Formerly With Claiborne Williams Orchestra". However, his name was only linked with theirs for the single May 23-25 engagement.
On May 30 Clarence sang at a Memorial Day celebration at the Cedar Lane Club. The Otis Smith Orchestra was also there, but the write-up didn't actually say that he was their singer. It looks like he stayed with the Club, rather than a band. However, this was the last time he was mentioned there.
After this, he did go to New Orleans, where he became both a performer and the manager of the Club Downbeat.
Then, Roy Brown came to town and the two of them entertained at the Downbeat as the "Blues Twins". Later on, Clarence said that they each performed separate sets; they didn't sing together. The only ad I've seen for the club already has Roy as a "DeLuxe Recording Artist". (It's possible that was based on him having recorded "Good Rocking Tonight", even if it hadn't yet been released.) What's more, Clarence Samuels joins an elite group: according to the ad, he's a "Decca Recording Artist". Since he never recorded for Decca, he joins the Rhythm Masters, the Beale Street Boys, Rufus Beacham, Julia Lee, Bobbe Caston, Debbie Andrews, Numa Lee Davis, Baby Dee, and Crown Prince Waterford as performers whose ads claimed they were Decca artists when they never recorded for that label. As always, I have no explanation for this.
Soon, Roy Brown was gone, starting on his meteoric career. Unfortunately, both Brown and Samuels told self-promotional stories later on, and I'm not going to try to unravel them. For example, Brown said he was booked to appear in northern California; didn't want to go; and talked Samuels into impersonating him. While Clarence was in California in early 1948, there are only mentions of him in Los Angeles, not San Francisco. On top of that, there were no Roy Brown ads in California at that time; he wasn't yet famous enough.
In September 1947, Clarence was signed by Chicago's Aristocrat Records; his first session was held that month. On it, he was backed by Dave Young's Orchestra. (Young had the house band at the Macomba Lounge, owned by Leonard Chess, who'd recently become part owner of Aristocrat.) The four songs were: "Boogie Woogie Blues", "Lolly Pop Mama", "Special Lesson No. 1", and "I Don't Love You Mamie".
Both Clarence and Roy recorded "Lolly Pop Mama", "Boogie Woogie Blues" (Roy as "Roy Brown Boogie"), and "Special Lesson No. 1". Each claimed to have written them. (While Clarence's "Special Lesson No. 1" wasn't released, I'm assuming his name would have gone on the label as writer, just as Roy's name went on his version.) Much as I like Roy Brown, I like Clarence's versions of the two released songs better.
Roy had the earlier recording of "Lolly Pop Mama" (July versus September), but "Boogie Woogie Blues" ("Roy Brown Blues") was recorded by Clarence first (September 1947 versus sometime in 1948 for Roy).
Now that Clarence had recorded for Aristocrat, they were free to announce his signing; it was in the November 29, 1947 Billboard.
Clarence had a second Aristocrat session in December, this time backed by Porter Kilbert's Orchestra (maimed to "Kilmer" on the label). He laid down "Get Hep To Yourself", "Coming Home Baby", "Baseball Blues", and "Juana".
Also in December, Aristocrat released the first Clarence Samuels record: "Lolly Pop Mama", coupled with "Boogie Woogie Blues". (Note that "Lolly Pop Mama" was the source of some of the lyrics to the 5 Keys' "Hucklebuck With Jimmy".) They were reviewed in the December 27, 1947 Billboard:
Boogie Woogie Blues (73): Up tempoed blues chant which should be good for the [juke]boxes.
Lolly Pop Mama (62): All the race infections [inflections?] - for the boxes mainly.
It looks like "Get Hep To Yourself" and "Juana" were scheduled for a January 1948 release, but were never actually issued.
On February 2, 1948, Clarence opened at the Last Word in Los Angeles. He was in with good company: Mabel Scott, Lorenzo Flennoy, George Vann, singer/MC Emily Foster, and the orchestra of Horace Henderson (Fletcher's younger brother). It didn't begin well: the ad in the January 29 California Eagle billed him as "Lawrence Samuels - New Blues Sensation From New Orleans". He made a big hit with columnist Eddie Burbridge, who had this to say in the February 5 Eagle: "Mabel Scott has a new blues singing sensation doing a great job by the name of Clarence Samuels. He hails from New Orleans, my home town."
Possibly timed with his opening, Aristocrat released "Coming Home Baby", backed with "Baseball Blues" in February. I can't say I like "Baseball Blues"; it's a raunchy song, but sung so low-key as to be disappointing. He sounds a bit like Wynonie Harris, who would have done a great version.
On February 22, Clarence was part of a show at the Club Congo to raise money for youth organizations. Also appearing were the Trenier Twins, Joe Lutcher, Gene Phillips, and the Nicholas Brothers. Gertrude Gipson's column in the February 26 Eagle said: "... singer Clarence Samuels had the girls in the audience reaching into their bags for 'swooning salts'."
There were only three ads for Clarence at the Last Word, all in February. But he was either still appearing there, or somewhere else that didn't advertise, when Gertrude Gipson wrote in the April 15 Eagle: "I still maintain that Clarence Samuels sings the blues like the blues should be sung. When Clarence gives out with 'I'm Gonna Tell The News', makes you wanta holler!" She added, in the April 29 Eagle: "Places is where Clarence Samuels singing ain't going anywhere else but." [What???]
As long as Clarence was in Los Angeles, he did some recordings for Jack Lauderdale's Down Beat Records. "Household Troubles", "C. S. Jam", "Deep Sea Diver", and "A C Boogie Blues". These were made in violation of the Petrillo Ban that forbid union musicians from recording. (The labels have the non-committal "Clarence Samuels and Sextet". The first two tunes were released in May 1948. Note that he'd re-do "Household Troubles" (a song lamenting that he doesn't have enough money to pay his rent) a dozen years later as "Charlie Loan Me 50¢". The lyrics to "C. S. Jam" mostly talked about how great the backing band was.
Again, I don't know where he was appearing, but in spite of him still being in Los Angeles, Gertrude Gipson wrote in her May 20 column: "If Clarence Samuels blues singer is still in town will you kindly contact Mrs. G. - Please . . . and speaking of Clarence Samuels he's one guy that [I] could listen to sing the blues, anywhere, anytime and anyplace." [There seems to have been a shortage of commas in the composing room that week.] I suppose it's possible they were trying to put him in touch with Jack Lauderdale to do those Down Beat recordings. [Note that the next year, Down Beat would become Swing Beat, and then Swing Time. (I don't know the sequence, but some recordings were also released on Swing. For example, Joe Turner's "Radar Blues" appeared on both Swing Beat 151 and Swing 151.)]
We know that Clarence was still in town because, on July 14, 1948, he recorded one more song for Down Beat: "Suffering Man Blues". This was done as part of a Jay McShann session, but there were no ads saying he was appearing with the band. The song would remain unreleased until 1972, when it appeared on a Jay McShann LP from Polydor International.
But Down Beat did release "Deep Sea Diver" and "A C Boogie Blues" around July. "Deep Sea Diver" is another song that both he and Roy Brown recorded. (He later said that he didn't know what the "A C" was for. However, since it had been written by Al Curry...)
By August "C. S. Jam" had traveled to Louisiana, where it was advertised as being on sale at the St. Landry Supply Company, a home, farm, and auto supply store in Opelousas.
By September 22, Clarence had joined a Lil Green tour, replacing Wynonie Harris. They opened for two days at the Frolic Theater in Birmingham, Alabama and then were at the Palace in Memphis, Tennessee, starting on September 30 for four days.
The October 2 Pittsburgh Courier was a bit confused over who Clarence Samuels was. An article about the Lil Green show said that one of the stars was:
Clarence Samuels and his "Good Rockin'" orchestra.... Clarence has recorded "Good Rockin' Tonight", "Lollipop [sic] Mama", "Boogie Woogie Blues", "C. S. Jam", [and] "Household Troubles".
An October 9, 1948 Pittsburgh Courier article once again mentioned that "Clarence Samuels and his orchestra are doing a bang-up job of pacing the music for the show." Clarence was a drummer (although he generally only played if the band's drummer didn't show up.) The only other venue named was three days at Joe's Skyline Club in Oklahoma City (no dates given). But by the time Lil played Classic Gardens in Dayton, Ohio on November 12, she'd disbanded the tour.
In March 1949, Aristocrat dug into their archives and released "I Don't Love You Mamie", from Clarence's September 1947 session. It was paired with Jump Jackson's "Choo Choo Blues" (vocal by Benny Kelly) from June 1947. Clarence tells Mamie that there'll never be anything between them because "I'm in love with Coralee". A nice song for his wife.
Somewhere along the way, Clarence had recorded some sides for Deluxe Records. By this time, the Braun Brothers, the original owners, had sold out to Syd Nathan, of King Records. Now, for a brief while, the label had both Clarence and Roy Brown. Clarence's only two released sides were "Jumping At The Jubilee" and "Gimmie!", recorded at Cosimo Matassa's New Orleans studios and issued in April 1949.
On May 7, 1949, Clarence was in Charles A. Taylor's Little Harlem Revue, part of the Cavalcade Of Amusements in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Taylor had run the Bronze Manikins back in 1944 and it was still traveling the country. Now, Clarence and his band were added to it for a single known engagement at the Palace Theater in Memphis (May 20-22; the ad called him "Star Of Deluxe Records"). He either continued with them for a while or re-joined them for a carnival thrown on September 12 by the owners of the Jackson, Tennessee Sun for their paper carriers. While it didn't specifically mention Charles A. Taylor, it called the portion of the carnival with Clarence Little Harlem.
Note that carnivals had a season. They'd travel around for many months and then generally close down for the winter. Clarence liked to be part of the carnival circuit and, when the show was wintering, he'd hit the nightclub circuit. We'll see in a bit that he ended up running some of the carnival units.
A part of his 1949 band was future sax star Ornette Coleman, in one of his first forays into the music field. When Coleman died in 2015, his June 12 New York Times obituary noted this fact and said "In Natchez, he joined the band of the blind blues singer Clarence Samuels." This is the only reference to Clarence being blind, and it wasn't true.
The March 25, 1950 Billboard said that "Blues singer Clarence Samuels, who formerly waxed for Downbeat [sic] disks, has signed a five-year pact with Freedom Records of Houston." Clarence later said that when he was in Houston, he went to see Don Robey, of Peacock Records, but Robey was out of town. He therefore ended up with Solomon Kahal's Freedom Records.
There are no recording dates available, but in April, Freedom released "Lost My Head", coupled with "Low Top Inn", which Clarence said was about a place in New Roads, Louisiana, about 20 miles from Baton Rouge. The lyrics mention a dance called "Putt-Putt-Putt"; 16 years later, he'd record a dance record with that name. The disc was favorably reviewed in the May 13 Billboard:
Lost My Head (78): Samuels has a relaxed style with a different sound. Odd blues pattern may attract added attention. Worth keeping an eye on.
Low Top Inn (81): This testimonial in jump blues form is expertly propelled by Samuels, who is as persuasive a hollerer as been heard recently.
"Lost My Head" tells the heartwarming story of a man who's trying to locate the lover who left him. He finally finds her, learns that she found someone else, and shoots her dead. Sitting in jail, awaiting execution, he has no remorse. Ah, true love!
In July, Freedom released the two-parter "She Walk - She Walk - She Walk". It's not a bad song until he starts saying "she walk" endlessly, making me want to walk far away from the recording. (Let me be honest. I want to walk to a record store, buy a bunch of copies, and smash them all. It really grates on my nerves.) August saw "I'm Gonna Leave You Baby", backed with "Got The Craziest Feelin'". "Somebody Gotta' Go", coupled with "Hey Joe!" (about a waitress) followed in September. None of these ever got reviewed.
When you record for a Houston company, you get conflated with the city. The Biloxi, Mississippi Sun-Herald of February 3, 1951 said:
Clarence Samuels and his Rhythm-makers, from Houston, will furnish the musical background for the Carnival Dance planned for the NCO Club, Branch One, Saturday evening. [February 3]"
This is the only time his band was ever referred to as the "Rhythm-makers".
From there, Clarence went to Florida, where he appeared in the Ebony Follies at Miami's Rainbow Inn in mid-March. It must have been a short engagement, since he (emcee and singer) was noted as returning on April 19. The show was still called the Ebony Follies and he was still there at the end of May. The bandleader was singer and tenor saxist Winnie Warren, who'd headed a band called the Savoy Rhythmasters in 1948-9. We'll hear more about her in a bit.
On July 4, 1951, he opened at the Big Barn, also in Miami.
There was some more recording in early 1952, this time for Enoch Light's Park Records of Harrison, New Jersey (a subsidiary of Waldorf Records). The five known songs (probably recorded in New Orleans) were done with Edgar Blanchard & the Gondoliers. All five are very short (under 2 minutes each) and have no instrumental breaks. I don't know if they were intentionally recorded that way or if the breaks were cut out (if so, it was very skillfully done). Four of the songs were: "I Didn't Sleep A Wink Last Night", "How Many More Years", "Bookies Blues", and "Tender Heart" (one of the most annoying songs I've ever heard). All four ended up on an 8-song EP; the rest were by others, including Dave Barton (actually Dave Bartholomew) and the Shrewsbury Kid (actually Tommy Ridgley). The fifth song, "You Know I Miss You", was on a different Park EP, this time with five songs by others. All 14 songs on the two EPs were in the 2-minute or less range.
"Bookies Blues", the most interesting song of the batch, has no artist name on the label. Why is it interesting? Well, H-Bomb Ferguson also recorded it, and as I said in that article:
In case you're wondering why bookies have the blues, the federal government enacted a law, effective November 1, 1951 which called for a $50 yearly fee and a 10% tax on every dollar they handled. They had 30 days to register and get a stamp saying they had. Bookies avoided this in droves, many continuing without complying and many going out of business. However, there were so many small ones (like the ones who ran the numbers games), that enforcing this became problematic. It was a no-win situation in New York, according to the November 2 Louisville, Kentucky Courier-Journal:
Officers in New York are planning a one-two punch against suspects.
When local police pick up a bookmaking suspect, they will notify federal agents. If he has a stamp, he is subject to prosecution under State law. If he is an operator and has no stamp, federal officials get him.
The federal government expected to haul in $400,000,000 from this tax, but by June 1952, that figure had been downsized to $9,000,000. (You don't really think the corner bookie actually paid, do you?) While the tax rate has been lowered to between 0.25% and 2% over the years, this excise tax is still in effect in 2022.
On June 19, 1952, Clarence and JoJo Evans appeared as singers at a dance held at the Solomon Coles Schools in Corpus Christi, Texas. The band was Winnie Warren and her Sweethearts Of Rhythm. Clarence and Winnie were mentioned again in the November 15, 1952 Billboard, which said that Johnny's United Shows had gone into winter quarters in Alabama after their season had ended. One of the units in the show had "... Clarence Samuel [sic] and Winnie Warren with minstrels...". They shared the stage (hopefully not at the same time) with Eddie Diebert's Monkeys and Jack Orr's Snakes.
January 1953 found the Clarence Samuels-Winnie Warren show (not otherwise named) at the Lincoln Theater in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sometime in 1953 Imperial Records re-released the Freedom cut of "Low Top Inn" on its Bayou subsidiary. The flip was "Drunk Or Sober" by Goree Carter.
Clarence's next label was Lamp, the newly-created New York subsidiary of Aladdin Records. In July 1954, Lamp issued "Life Don't Mean A Thing", backed with "Crazy With The Heat". In August, it was "Cryin' 'Cause I'm Troubled" (which he'd re-record a dozen years later), backed with "Lightnin' Struck Me". His signing was announced in the July 10 Billboard, and, on July 17, they said his first record would be released the following week.
Cash Box reviewed them in their August 14 issue:
Crazy With The Heat (B+): Clarence Samuels sings with an enthusiastic quality that has this item moving. The Samuels vocal lends the tune drive as he shoots out the bouncing lyrics.
Life Don't Mean A Thing (C+): Samuels sings a blues ballad with a straight approach. Relaxing bit of wax.
The second Lamp record wasn't reviewed.
The Ebony Follies was at the Fox Theater in Charlotte, North Carolina for New Year's Eve, 1954. It featured Winnie Warren and her White Heat Orchestra. From there, it was the Princess Theatre (Huntsville, Alabama) on January 17-18, 1955. At this point, Clarence seems to be running this show, rather than being one of the acts in it. If he'd been touring with it all that time, his name hadn't been mentioned. It's possible that he was the MC.
Bandleader Winnie Warren had also been with the show since 1951. She'd been characterized by the March 26, 1949 Indianapolis Recorder as "Beautiful Winnie Warren, inimitable tenor sax queen and former star reed artist of the International Sweethearts Of Rhythm...." (I tried, but I couldn't find her name associated with them anywhere else.) But it gets better. The July 9, 1955 Billboard had this:
Len Hathaway, of WENE in Endicott, N.Y., conducted an interview June 27 with Clarence Samuels, Strates Ebony Follies operator; Winnie Warren, his wife; and publicist Mae S. Hong [press agent for the Strates shows].
So we learn three things from this. First, Ebony Follies is part of James E. Strates Shows (a company that sent various shows around the country); second, Clarence is now in charge of that show; and third, he and bandleader Winnie Warren are married. I can't find any record of the marriage and their union doesn't seem to be mentioned anywhere but in that one blurb. Actually, according to Clarence Jr., it was a common law marriage.
Remember those recordings Clarence made for Enoch Light's Park label back in 1952? In 1955, Light re-released them all on another of his Harrison, New Jersey labels, Waldorf (also called Waldorf Music Hall), a brand sold exclusively in the F. W. Woolworth five-and-ten stores.
"How Many More Years" and "Bookies Blues" (still with no artist name attached) came out on an eight-song Waldorf Music Hall EP. All five of his Park masters were on an eighteen-song Waldorf LP (remember, these were all short songs), which didn't identify any of the artists on the label.
Clarence was mentioned in conjunction with the Strates Shows when they played Bennett's Field in Utica, New York for six days, starting June 16, 1955. This was an entire extravaganza called the "Mightiest Midway On Earth", with Clarence running the All-Colored Revue portion. The Midway was then set to tour up and down the Atlantic Seaboard. Here's what you need to know about the Strates Midway, according to the February 19, 1955 Orlando, Florida Evening Star:
Blossoming with new acts, new thrill rides and amusements, the big James E. Strates shows begins its 31st season Monday [February 21, in Orlando] when the midway springs to life.
The Strates midway, as familiar to Central Floridians as an old shoe, makes the 1955 fair its first stop on a long and brilliant tour of the U. S. and Canada. Its appearance here will be in the grand manner.
Everything in the show is fresh-painted. Trucks, wagons and tents glisten with shiny paint. It is the all new 1955 show.
Strates told fair directors that the aim of the midway organization is to bring a modern clean and exciting show to the fair. He promises something to suit every taste, amusement and interest of the throngs that will saunter along the midway from 10 a.m. daily until midnight. [Note that all midway shows advertised themselves as "clean", so that families would be lured out to be separated from their money by dishonest games.]
This is the same new midway show that in a few weeks will be entertaining big crowds in the Empire State, for the Strates show has again been booked for the New York State Fair [in Syracuse], one of the country's outstanding fairs.
It takes 40 railroad cars to transport the Strates show. There will be 30 rides, newer and more thrilling than ever, keyed to the atomic age and the era of speed and thrills. There will be more than 20 brilliantly produced shows. Modern lights and neon tubes will flash, along with the throaty cry of the pitchmen and the hawkers, uniting to spin a gorgeous web of color and sound along the midway.
The July 7, 1955 Glens Falls, New York Post-Star mentioned the Strates show and said:
Young "fry" found the fourteen kiddie rides to their liking while teenagers rocked and rolled to the rhythm of Clarence Samuels holding forth in the "Ebony Follies"....
There was a James E. Strates ad in the July 16, 1955 Billboard. In it, he was looking for performers for his various shows. Of interest is this:
Colored Performers, Light-Skin Chorus Girls, Trumpet Player, Trombone, Drummer and Saxophone Player for Clarence Samuel's Ebony Revue.
It looks like Clarence left Strates by the end of the 1955 season. On January 28, 1956, he opened at the Southern Club in Opelousas, Louisiana. Also on the bill were Larry Darnell, Jeanne Moore, and Li'l Millet's Orchestra.
He was back at the Southern Club on May 12, this time as the singer with Winnie Warren and Her Orchestra. But after this, Winnie totally disappears. I can't find out a single personal thing about her. Clarence Jr believes that she came from Daytona, Florida, but I can't find a trace of her there. (You'd be surprised at how common a name "Winnie Warren" is.)
Later in 1956, he recorded a couple of tunes for Ernie Young's Excello label in Nashville: "Got No Place To Call My Own" and the somewhat-strident "Chicken Hearted Woman". They were released in October and reviewed in the November 11 Cash Box and the November 17 Billboard.
Got No Place To Call My Own (CB: B+): Samuels rocks out a quick beat novelty blues that comes out an infectious side. Ditty is loaded with appeal and Samuels' treatment is good. This deck has a lot on the ball and could break out.
Chicken Hearted Woman (CB: B): Samuels sings a slow beat blues about his woman who doesn't do the things she should. It is real down home wailing and doesn't come up to the excitement and commercial quality of the flip deck.
Chicken Hearted Woman (BB: 78): Singer hits a solid beat with a blues of his own cleffing. Backing has funky Southern sound. Good territorial possibilities.
Got No Place To Call My Own (BB: 70): Another cleffing by singer, but in rhythm ballad style.
Speaking of Excello, Victor Pearlin related this item about guitarist Johnny Copeland:
Johnny Copeland told me that the single by Clarence Samuels on Excello was Johnny's first time in a recording studio. He said that CS took off and left him broke and he had to find his own way back to Houston!
There's no mention of Clarence in all of 1957, but this odd item turned up in the April 26, 1958 Cash Box:
Don Carter tells us his newly formed Pet Records is moving along "just great".... Don also reveals he has signed Clarence Samuels, formerly of Excello Records. Samuels is a Nashville, Tennessee boy and has considerable following in the Texas, New Orleans market. Carter is now going over material with Samuels and a session is planned in about two weeks.
Didn't they once say Clarence came from Houston? Anyway, whatever this was about, it came to nothing; there were never any Clarence Samuels releases on Pet.
But there were on Apt, a New York label, owned by AM-PAR (ABC-Paramount), which had purchased Waldorf (although that might not be relevant). In January 1959, Apt issued "Without You", a duet with Ann Cole, whose name wasn't on the label for some reason (probably because she was under contract to Baton Records). Fortunately, Clarence later disclosed who it was to Dan Kochakian. The flip, "We're Goin' To The Hop", is basically an updated "Low Top Inn". They were reviewed in the January 26, Billboard and the January 31 Cash Box:
We're Goin' To The Hop (BB; 2 stars): Samuels sings in enthusiastic rocking fashion this rather standard hop-type item. Good vocal and band backing makes for solid terp fare [that is, a good dance record], which builds nicely.
Without You (BB: 2 stars): Samuels has some touches of Joe Williams in this medium beat tune, which features a duet with an unbilled thrush, who has also a good, swinging sound. Good rocking side.
We're Goin' To The Hop (CB; B): Clarence Samuels is the recipient of a torrid vocal and instrumental backdrop as he zestfully belts out this inviting house-rocker. Striking platter affair that should whet the dancin' kind' appetites.
Without You (CB: B): Reverse entry is a snappy, up beat romantic ditty on which Samuels duets with an unbilled femme vocalist.
Nothing happened with the record and Clarence stopped recording for a while. In 1962, he began another career: managing New Orleans singer Johnny "Reconsider Me" Adams.
On March 16, 1963, both Clarence and Johnny Adams appeared at the Swain Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida as part of a show put on by station WYOU. The others were Lee Tillman, Laura Ann and Eddie (Baby Face) Wilson, and the Buddy Stewart orchestra. Clarence appeared at the Rivoli, in San Benito, Texas with his band, now identified as the Blazers, on July 30, 1963. Laura Ann and Eddie (Baby Face) Wilson were there too, as was Marie Franklin.
But that's his last mention until 1966, when there was some more recording, in Houston, for the Sharon label, along with the Blazers. This was his own company, named for his daughter (Clarence's child by one of his girlfriends). Sharon was being raised, in Brooklyn, by our old friend Winnie Warren, and the address on the label (368 Putnam Avenue) is where Winnie lived (by this time, she'd given up the tenor sax to be a dental assistant).
The first release was "Putt-Putt-Putt", backed with "Slippity". The top side was a dance record (remember that "putt-putt-putt" was mentioned, as a dance, way back in 1950's "Low Top Inn"). The flip, incoherently talking about "Louise" (his daughter's name), is another annoyingly insane repetition of "walk". At least it's frenetic, even if I want to smash every copy ever made.
The second Sharon release was "Crying Cause I'm Troubled", a song he'd done for Lamp back in 1954. Its flip was "Charlie Loan Me 50¢", which was the same song as 1948's "Household Troubles", with an updated beat
Another 1966 release was on the Nopal label from Alice, Texas: one more version of "Crying Cause I'm Troubled", backed by "Meet Me". (However, I've never heard "Crying", and it could be the Sharon master.)
None of the 1966 releases were reviewed.
He then moved to Orlando, Florida. The March 9, 1969 Florida Today (Cocoa, Florida) mentioned Clarence Samuels and His Broadway After Dark Revue, but didn't say where they were playing.
You've probably forgotten that Clarence had recorded "Suffering Man Blues" for Down Beat in 1948, in a session with Jay McShann's orchestra. It had remained unreleased all these years until being included on an LP on Germany's Polydor International in 1972: Jay McShann: 1947-49.
By 1973, Clarence was producing recordings for Jimmy Liggins' Duplex label (in which Samuels may have been part owner). The label was, at the time, from Orlando, Florida (it seems to have moved around a lot), where Clarence was living.
The August 21, 1975 Orlando Sentinel talked about a carnival performer (little person "Tiny Tina" [Gloria Hurd]) who'd just given birth. The relevant part was:
"Both she and the baby are doing fine," said Clarence Samuels, her manager, who is traveling with her as part of the W. G. Wade Shows in Michigan.
"The baby was due Friday, but she kept working up until last week," Samuels said. "Then we just made her stop."
Samuels said the carnival will move to Detroit Friday, but he said Ms. Hurd and her baby will stay behind and join the group later.
"She's already talking about getting back to work and hopes to be able to perform in a couple of weeks," said Samuels, who is also from Altamonte Springs [a suburb of Orlando].
I imagine that Clarence was more than just Tiny Tina's manager, otherwise why would he continue on with the show and leave her behind? Presumably he was managing some units of the carnival (or, possibly, the entire thing).
A January 27, 1976 article in the Fort Myers, Florida News-Press talked about the Southwest Florida Fair at Terry Park. It said that Clarence was still managing Tiny Tina, as well as Bertha Williams, billed as the world's fattest woman. Every source except this one said that Tina was 29 inches tall. This article had her as 47 inches, which would make her just a very short woman at 3' 11" (but photos of Tina show a woman much shorter than that). Bertha, on the other hand supposedly weighed 851 pounds. On the third hand, entrepreneurs routinely exaggerated the statistics of their acts.
On December 9, 1976, Clarence W. Samuels married again, this time to Dorothy A. Moultrie in Miami. They'd be married for almost 20 years before divorcing in 1995. After the divorce, Clarence moved back to New Orleans. At some point, he'd supposedly moved to Los Angeles and started a T-shirt business, but there's no trace of him there after 1948.
In November 2000, Clarence appeared at a concert in Utrecht, Holland. That same year, he put together a private pressing CD of 10 fairly bland recordings on the Gifft label, including remakes of five of his prior releases (see discography). To me, the saddest thing about the CD is that even he couldn't come up with a good photo of himself for the cover. Note that it says "Distributed By The Samuels Brothers", although brother Clifford had died in 1977.
On April 30, 2001, Clarence appeared at the Circle Bar in New Orleans, during the time the yearly Jazz Fest shows were going on. At the time, he was living in a nursing home and left there to make some appearances.
Clarence's last known appearance was on May 2, 2002, the last day of the yearly Ponderosa Stomp at New Orleans' Fine Arts Center. Others performing that day were Barbara Lynn, Dave Bartholomew, Allen Toussaint, Earl Palmer, Eddie Bo, and Lonnie Brooks (Guitar Junior).
Clarence died in Westwego, Louisiana (a suburb of New Orleans) on May 20, 2002. Since he was big in New Orleans, there might have been an obituary, but I don't have access to local papers. (Strangely, Social Security records his death as May 1, but I was assured by Dr. Ike, of the Ponderosa Stomp, that Clarence really did appear on May 2. Clarence Jr. confirmed the May 20 date.)
It's hard for me to sum up Clarence Samuels. He made some music that I really like and some that I really hate. He had a nice voice, but one that I find unexceptional. Over the years, Clarence had several careers, showing that he didn't allow himself to be stuck in a rut.
Special thanks to Clarence Samuels, Jr., Paul Gruber, Victor Pearlin, Sampson (of Spontaneous Lunacy), Dan Kochakian, John Broven, Ira "Dr. Ike" Padnos, and Jeff Hannusch (author of The Soul of New Orleans: A Legacy of Rhythm and Blues from Swallow Books).
ARISTOCRAT
1001 Lolly Pop Mama / Boogie Woogie Blues - 12/47
(Clarence Samuels with Dave Young's Orchestra)
1003 Coming Home Baby / Baseball Blues - 2/48
(Clarence Samuels with Porter Kilmer's [s/b "Kilbert"] Orch.)
UNRELEASED ARISTOCRAT
Special Lesson No. 1 (recorded 9/47)
Get Hep To Yourself (was supposed to be Aristocrat 1002 - recorded 12/47)
Juana (was supposed to be Aristocrat 1002 - recorded 12/47)
DOWN BEAT (Clarence Samuels and Sextet)
131 Household Troubles / C. S. Jam - 5/48
149 Deep Sea Diver / A C Boogie Blues - ca 7/48
UNRELEASED DOWN BEAT (vocalist with Jay McShann's orchestra)
Suffering Man Blues (recorded July 14, 1948)
ARISTOCRAT (Clarence Samuels - Dave Young's Orchestra)
403 I Don't Love You Mamie / [Choo Choo Blues - Benny Kelly, with Jump Jackson's ork] - 3/49
DELUXE (Clarence Samuels)
3219 Jumping At The Jubilee / Gimmie! - 4/49
FREEDOM (Clarence Samuels and Orchestra)
1533 Lost My Head / Low Top Inn - 4/50
1541 She Walk - She Walk - She Walk (Parts 1 & 2) - 7/50
1543 I'm Gonna Leave You Baby / Got The Craziest Feelin' - 8/50
1544 Somebody Gotta' Go / Hey Joe! - 9/50
PARK (Clarence Samuels, with Edgar Blanchard & the Gondoliers)
EP 801 I Didn't Sleep A Wink Last Night / How Many More Years // Bookies Blues / Tender Heart
[NOTE: Bookies Blues shows no artist name; + 4 songs by others] - 52
EP 802 You Know I Miss You / [+ 5 songs by others] - 52
BAYOU (Clarence Samuels)
010 Low Top Inn [the Freedom master] / [Drunk Or Sober - Goree Carter] - 53
LAMP (Clarence Samuels With Band)
8004 Life Don't Mean A Thing / Crazy With The Heat - 7/54
8005 Cryin' 'Cause I'm Troubled / Lightnin' Struck Me - ca 8/54
WALDORF MUSIC HALL (Clarence Samuels w/ Edgar Blanchard & Gondoliers - Park masters)
MH-33-136 Rock And Roll - New Orleans Blues - 55
How Many More Years / Bookies Blues (which isn't attributed to anyone)
+ 6 other songs by various artists
WALDORF (Park masters)
33-T Rhythm And Blues - "Rock-And-Roll" - 55
I Didn't Sleep A Wink Last Night / How Many More Years / Bookie [sic] Blues / Tender Heart // You Know I Miss You
+ 13 other songs by various artists - no artists identified on the label
EXCELLO (Clarence Samuels)
2093 Got No Place To Call My Own / Chicken Hearted Woman - 10/56
APT (Clarence Samuels)
25028 Without You [with uncredited Ann Cole] / We're Goin' To The Hop - 1/59
SHARON
111 Putt-Putt-Putt / Slippity - 66
(Clarence W. Samuels - The Blazer's [sic])
112 Crying Cause I'm Troubled / Charlie Loan Me 50¢ - 66
(Clarence Samuels and His Blazers)
NOPAL (Clarence Samuel's [sic] And His Blazers)
NOP-913 Meet Me / Crying Cause I'm Troubled - 66
POLYDOR INTERNATIONAL
LP 423.245 Jay McShann: 1947-49 - 72 (Germany)
Suffering Man Blues - singing with McShann's ork.
(had been recorded for Down Beat Records, in Los Angeles, July 14, 1948)
SHAG ARCHIVE (Clarence Samuels)
AR-108 Without You / [Maybe This Time - Norma Lewis] - 93
Presumably the APT cut
GIFFT (a private pressing)
---- House Of Blues - Autumn 2000
House Of Blues
I'm Singing This Song For Me
I Love You Too Much
Big Fat Mama
Put Put [sic]
P.D.Q.
She Walk, She Walk (Part 1)
Chicken Hearted Woman
Lollypop Moma [sic]
Boogie Woogie Blues