Peter J. Clayton

Sometimes cited as one whose edgy performing style helped to ignite rhythm & blues and eventually led to the rise of rock & roll, Doctor Clayton was an attention-getting vocalist whose sense of humor was best displayed on his initially unissued 1941 recording of "Jitterbug Swing," a lively stomp peppered with exhortations to the pianist like "knock yourself out" and "kill yourself." His best recordings featured instrumental backing by Blind John Davis, Big Bill Broonzy, and string bassist Ransom Knowling, who during one session switched over to the tuba with wonderful results. Clayton set a standard for the now-familiar stop-time storytelling blues with an over the top shout chorus in the form of his 1942 recording "Ain't No Business We Can Do." This formula, destined to serve as a primary ingredient in the compound eventually known as rock & roll, was mimicked by dozens of other performers, most prominently Ray Charles, whose "It Should Have Been Me" was eventually covered by Commander Cody, and loudmouth Louis Prima who, backed by Sam Butera & the Witnesses, made a big splash with "There'll Be No Next Time," a novelty routine based upon that same formula tracing back to Doctor Clayton, a largely forgotten individual whose influence on Wynonie Harris, B.B. King, and Professor Longhair is unmistakable. Peter J. Cleighton was born somewhere in Georgia on April 19, 1898, and raised in St. Louis, where he got married and worked in a factory while developing his abilities as singer and piano player. He made his first recordings for the Bluebird label in 1935 with a pianist by the name of Beatrice "Toots" Willis. From the get-go, Clayton's voice was decidedly unusual; he pitched himself in frantic high octaves, whining in a driven falsetto for comical emphasis. His rowdy...