Red Prysock

Wilburt Prysock (February 2, 1926 – July 19, 1993),[1] known as Red Prysock, was an American rhythm and blues tenor saxophonist,[2] one of the early Coleman Hawkins-influenced saxophonists to move in the direction of rhythm and blues, rather than bebop.[3]

Red Prysock (foreground) playing with Tiny Grimes

While with Tiny Grimes and his Rocking Highlanders, Prysock staged a memorable saxophone battle with Benny Golson on "Battle of the Mass".[4] He first gained attention as a member of Tiny Bradshaw's band, playing the lead sax solo on his own composition "Soft", which was a hit for the Bradshaw band in 1952.[2] Prysock also played with Roy Milton and Cootie Williams.[2]

In 1954, he signed with Mercury Records as a bandleader, and had his biggest hit, the R&B instrumental "Hand Clappin'" in 1955.[2] That same year, he joined the band that played at Alan Freed's stage shows.[2] He also played on several hit records by his brother, the singer Arthur Prysock, in the 1960s.[5]

Personal life

Prysock was born in 1926 in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States,[2] and died of a heart attack in 1993 in Chicago, at the age of 67.[1][6] He served in the United States Army during World War II which was when he learned to play saxophone.[3][5] He was buried at the Salisbury National Cemetery in Salisbury, North Carolina.[7]

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Red Prysock among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.[8]

Discography
  • Rock and Roll (Mercury, 1956)
  • Fruit Boots (Mercury, 1957)
  • The Beat (Mercury, 1957)
  • Swing Softly Red (Mercury, 1958)
  • Battle Royal with Sil Austin (Mercury, 1959)
  • The Big Sound of Red Prysock (Forum Circle, 1964)
  • For Me and My Baby (Gateway, 1964; reissued on CD in 2003)

References
  1. "Red Prysock | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  2. Colin Larkin, ed. (2002). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 343/4. ISBN 1-85227-937-0.
  3. Komara, Edward (2006). Encyclopedia of the blues. New York: Routledge. pp. 787–788. ISBN 0-415-92699-8. OCLC 60590117.
  4. Radio, NTS (June 16, 2014). "Red Prysock - Discover music on NTS". NTS Radio. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  5. Leigh, Spencer (August 23, 1997). "Obituary: Arthur Prysock". The Independent. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  6. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 1992 - 1993". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  7. "Salisbury National Cemetery - Surnames P-Q - Rowan County, North Carolina". Interment.net. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  8. Rosen, Jody (June 25, 2019). "Here Are Hundreds More Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in the UMG Fire". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
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