Red Prysock

Wilburt Prysock (2 February 1926 - 19 July 1993 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:39fuxql5ld0e~T1 All Music Guide biography] ] ), known as Red Prysock, was an American rhythm and blues tenor saxophonist, one of the early Lester Young-influenced saxophonists to move in the direction of rhythm and blues, rather than bebop. He first gained attention playing with Tiny Bradshaw's band (he played the lead sax solo on Bradshaw's big hit "Soft," and staged a memorable sax battle with Benny Golson on "Battle of the Mass"). He left Bradshaw over a disagreement about dress code. Bradshaw's band at the time was called "Tiny Bradshaw and his Highlanders," and he insisted that all his musicians wear kilts onstage. Prysock refused.

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

Prysock, who was born in 1926 in Greenboro, North Carolina, died in 1993 in Chicago at the age of 67.

References

External links

* [http://home.earthlink.net/~jaymar41/rprysock.html Home.earthlink.net]