Gerri Hall (born August 2, 1934[1]) is an American R&B singer known for her works with Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns.
Gerri Hall | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Erdine Bouise |
| Born | (1934-08-02) August 2, 1934 (age 88) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, Blues |
| Occupations | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1957 - 1981 |
| Labels | Rex Records, Ace Records, Atco Records, Hotline Records, RAI Records |
Gerri Hall was born Erdine Bouise in New Orleans, Louisiana. An African, Spanish, and American Indian descent, Hall was a big fan of comedian Jerry Lewis from whom she named herself after.[2] Her surname Hall comes from her ex-husband, who was the brother of Rosemary Hall Domino, the wife of Fats Domino.[3]
Hall was working as a waitress at the famed club Dew Drop Inn where she met Huey Smith and Bobby Marchan. They invited her to join the Clowns in 1957. From then on, Hall served as one of the key members of the golden days of the Clowns singing on songs including “Rocking Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” and “Don’t You Just Know It”. She also recorded with Huey Smith under the duo name of ‘’Huey and Jerry’’.
Apart from her work with Smith, Hall took part in Earl King’s Imperial Records session doing backing vocals on two tracks "Don't You Lose It" and "Don't Cry My Friend" in 1962. These songs were released under its subsidiary label Post as a single.[4] Hall also did some live dates with Benny Spellman and Smiley Lewis in New Orleans.[5]
As a solo artist, she released some singles in the 1950s to 1960s, and in 1966, she appeared on the TV Show “The !!!! Beat” hosted by Hoss Allen.[6][5] The single “I Cried a Tear” from the RAI label she released in 1966 was leased to Atco Records for a wider distribution.
Later, she gave up her solo career and joined Ray Charles’ Raelettes.[7]
She performed as a member of the Clowns at the Tipitina’s in May, 1981, the show that’s considered the last Clowns live appearance to date. Apparently, she has not been performing much if any after this show, but she has appeared as a panelist for the conference sessions at Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans in 2010 and 2011.[8][9]
| Year | Title | Label |
| 1958 | "Little Chickie Wah Wah"
b/w "I Think You're Jiving Me" |
Vin 1000 |
| 1959 | "I Love You"
b/w "Toy Man" |
Rex 1006 |
| 1962 | "I'm The One"
b/w "Hello Mister Dream" |
Ace 646 |
| 1963 | "Mr. Blues (Found A Home With Me)"
b/w "I Cried A Tear" |
RAI 133-741 |
| 1966 | "Who Can I Run To"
b/w "I Lost The Key" |
Hot Line 905 |
| Year | Title | Label |
| 1998 | ’’The First Take Is The Deepest’’
Contains 2 previously unreleased Ace recordings |
Westside WESA 811 |