A great way to enjoy the history of music and the beautiful sounds of the blues. Robert B. 12/7/2007
Enjoyed your special on the Rolling Stones. I would like to see more on Blues Artist old and young. Keep it Groovin. Robert B. 11/28/2007
Larry, Johnny Guitar Watson really brings back some wasted brain cells! Wore out the grooves in that album the year it came out. Thanks David L. 11/9/07
Watson is the man!!! Your Bro. Young Robert! 11/9/07
OMG, This song (Humble Pie - Thirty Days In The Hole) so reminds me of you Larry and 1972! LOL Andrie - 10/5/07
I love this website, I have to listen to this each and every day. Thank you very much. I will share this with all my
co-workers and friends. Nate 9/30/07
Love this site! I call it "Continuing Music Education"! I know the songs, but I didn't know all the stories behind the people who performed them. Andrie - 9/23/07
Can you dig up Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel by Tavares? Thanks! D. - Cleveland OH 8/17/07
The site is wonderful Larry and the music is just awesome!!! I love visiting It's Friday In Athens!!!! Please keep this going forever!!!! - Dierdra L. - President/CEO, Getan Records, THE LIGHTHOUSE GOSPELETTES!!! Athens, GA 7/29/07
It's Friday? How about "Don't Roll Your Bloodshot Eyes at Me" for a little local flavor? Mark B. 7/27/07
Consider the Manhattans on Friday’s! Frank P. 7/27/07
Larry!!!! You MADE my day with "Build Me Up"! I'm on vacation in Santa Barbara and sent it to my co-workers with the threat that I can now play it anytime I want! Psych! Hello Don M in the bay area and to Betsy! Everyone raves about your site, Larry! It's awesome! Gratefully yours, Scotty 7/20/07
Hey Larry, Before the summer's over we need something from the summer of love for its 40th anniversary. It's for us in the bay area. Don M. 7/13/07
Hey Larry The music is just great.Would also like to hear'The Horse' by Cliff Nobles. Thanks. Double Divine 7/6/07
Hey Larry, Remember those instrumentals that played before the top of the hour on AM Radio? How about "The Horse" by Cliff Nobles or "Soul Finger".
Thanks! Betsy K. 6/30/07
Larry, If I ever need a D.J. Guess what,You The Man!!! Thanx: Corndog 6/22/07
Yes! it's Friday and I'm up here jammin' in Cleveland, OH. How about some Soul Generation - Body & Soul (That's the Way It's Got to Be) Ya'll remember that one? Have a great weekend! losplus 6/22/07
How about Earth, Wind and Fire? Angie G. 6/6/07
Hooray for Friday!! Mary A. 6/1/07
This group (The Four Tops) is great. Thanks VM Jimmy J. - 5/25/07
Thanks for a Friday of Dusty Springfield, The Look of Love. Erica from Red Lobster, thanks for the look. - F.L. 4/5/07
I love this site! Any chance I could hear "Coldest Days Of My Life" by the Chi-Lites? - 4/4/07
I would love to hear "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous
Brothers or "Fats" Domino's "Ain't That a Shame" or
"Blueberry Hill." Thanks, Patrick - 3/30/07
Hey Larry! You are amazing! I have my whole office dancing to these! Just great! Can you do a BeeGees for my boss and slip in Build Me Up Buttercup? I sing it anyway at work, may as well have the music to go along with it (the more to torture my co-workers with! Looking forward to all the Fridays-with-Larry! :) Scotty - 3/30/07
Oh, my goodness, you found "Black Pearl." I nearly fainted this am, when I opened the site. Thank you sooooo much. Blessings P.W. Smith - 3/30/07
Please add "Black Pearl" by The Checkmates...not sure what year, but thinking mid 60's. Thanks sooooooo much.
P. Smith - 3/23/07
This is a great website. My mom always listened to the "Oldies" station here, and I wanted to be just like my Mom, so I started listening to it and I loved it, and this website has some of my favorites. M. Pierce - 3/22/07
Hey, I love the t-shirt. I have had it on
since I got home from Arizona. You did a
good job. That was a great song last Friday (Wang Dang Doodle)
- didn't know it but who ever requested it is someone I
would like to hang with. And then today we had
The Zombies....that took me back to 8th grade and one of
my first boy/girl parties. They were always held in
someone's basement and the lights would go off by 9:00.
That song always seem to bring on lots of smooching. I will
not be naming names.... ;)
Thanks again,
Betsy
This is awesome!!! Thanks for the great
site and fabulous music!! WooHoo!! Jen B. - 2/18/07
I could not have picked a better artist. Thanks, Pat M.
Thank you Larry - You have made my day! Betsy K.
Mr. Larry, I really enjoyed Roy Head-Hey Hey. YF
Jim J. - 2/5/07
This always gets my Friday off to a great start! Love it!
Debbie - 1/26/07
Every once in a while my mornings are worth rising for, this has been one of them with Tina Turner.
Thanks Bill S. - 1/19/07
Keep up the good work. JJ - 1/19/07
Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year 2007! I remember at this time in 1969 we were really gettng into Abbey Road! But oh, how I love the sweet soul music of the 60's and 70's as well. Thanks for your work in keeping this music alive. And keep on sending it, Brother! Dennis M. - 12/29/06
Moonchild Diva in Motown - found the site by looking for Billy Stewart! I think you answered my question...who played bass on Billy's recordings? SO THANK YOU for clearing up the mystery! - 12/11/06
Billy Stewart , alright, one of my favorites. Also, Jerry Butler, Major Lance, Willy Tee....
Your friend, Dirk H.
Thanks for Billy Stewart Larry - You have made
my day! Betsy K. - 12/8/07
I look forward to Friday's email. This is great.
Linda L. - 12/8/07
Wow! From your personal E-Mail account. I forward "Its Friday in Athens!!!" on to my friends often. The folks here at work are trying to figure me out. Their 56 year old C.E.O. sits in his office every Friday morning booming out R&B. Though it works for me, its not the type of behavior they expect from someone in my position. BLUES BANKER!
T. Turgeon -
Thanks for Joe T. Luv'd it! Roy Head and the Traits?
Hope you had a good Turkey Day.
T. Turgeon - 11/27/07
I keep waiting for Jackie Wilson and Billy Stewart....I have
decided that like me, you have an older brother or sister
who had you listening to this music as a kid.
Hope all is well your way.
Betsy K. - 11/25/06
How about a little Joe Tex? T. Turgeon
Thanks, "I LOVE IT! Makes my day! M.N. - 9/29/06
WOW WOW WOW AN OUTSTANDING REVIEW OF THE real STYLE OF MUSIC - Atlanta Cooking - 9/23/06
In my time, this is the most fascinating music I have ever heard. **86 - 8/17/06
Keep up the great and extremely important work. We met I believe at Michael Guthrie's house a few weeks ago at the HVARII Reunion. I am a great lover of our R&B and it's great to see someone who truly cares about it. Ole!
T. Turgeon - 8/2/06
Again, the "It's Friday" series is great - I love it
every week and have sent it on to so many folks -
thanks again. Betsy K.
Aretha is my personal favorite so far! Peggy M.
LOVE THIS...I NEED SOMETHNG TO GET ME THROUGH THE DAY !!!! C. Lady - 6/3/07
Great! Perfect! Dance Music I Love It!!! Laine L.
I think you missed your calling as a DJ! Nicki S.
Keep 'em coming!! I really enjoy listening to "my kind of music". Thank you. Mary M.
I like getting your email every Friday, keep it coming!
Carlas A.
DON'T FORGET THE 'QUEEN OF SOUL'........ ARETHA!!!!! YOUR MAKING MY FRIDAYS. RONK
MY FRIENDS REALLY LIKE FRIDAY IN ATHENS! ONE IS SENDING EVERYONE AT THE COURTHOUSE AN EMAIL. Ron H.
THANKS SO MUCH EACH WEEK! Nancy W.
This makes me smile! Ray C.
Great job, keep up the good work. Terry T.
I SAVE UNTIL FRI AFTERNOON, BY 5:00 P.M. I'M REVVVVED!!! RONK - 5/19/06
Thanks for this humanitarian service to get us crunk for district wide planning. Wilson Pickett reminds us to put a “spotlight on Otis Redding y’all”. Yeah,yeah, oh yeah. Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-Faaa! Karl S.
Thanks. What a pleasant surprise to get to work and open this e-mail- glad I started with yours first. Melanie B.
Thanks for the Friday emails Larry!! I really enjoy them.
Kim S.
Thanks for the sound of good music. I really do love my oldies but goodies. E. Luke - 5/19/06
Thanks!!! This is great! Jane B.
Great site! How about some Sam Cooke??? - 5/19/06
Thanks for the music! Steve P.
I love this! Thanks. Dianne M.
I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your
Friday emails. Thanks for including me! Betsy K.
I appreciate the link – good stuff! Jon W.
I LIKE IT!!!!!! Thanks and HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!! Barbara S.
THIS IS GREAT!!!!!! Susan R.
So in your spare time you try to cheer up everyone? Thanks, Lori R.
I love these songs. Thanks. Terri S.
Awesome……Thanks for doing this, we all look forward to it every week. I’ve sent it to everyone I know! Debi D.
I needed this today! Thanks. Susan S.
Good selection for this fabulous Friday!!!!!
Thanks for the Music this morning. I think I could listen to this all day, if people didn't think I was crazy for MOVING in my chair. Have a great weekend. Joyce G.
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 (song)" (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.
He joined old Stax collaborators Steve Cropper and Donald "Duck" Dunn, and fronted The Blues Brothers Band on a series of world tours, and in 1998, Floyd and former Falcon Wilson Pickett appeared on screen dueting on "634-5789" in Blues Brothers 2000.
As well as singing with The Blues Brothers Band, Floyd as been the special guest with former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings on several dates in the US and the UK.
Thanks, Pat M. 12/28/07
