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The Return of Mickey Murray

Posted at 12:09 PM on January 12, 2012 by The Current
Filed under: Music News


On this week's Current Presents, Bill DeVille interviews a man named Mickey Murray. Does the name sound familiar? It may not ring a bell right away, but his cover of Otis Redding's "Bamalama" is a great way to get reacquainted. In 1967, Murray produced his own rendition of the famous track and quickly sold over a million copies.


Listen

Well on his way to James Brown-esque comparisons, his single "People Are Together" two years later essentially ruined any potential at a long-term career. In 1970, King Records shelved his debut album after African-American DJs in the south denied airplay for fear of retaliation amidst the racial tensions permeating the country at the time.


So we lost the album forever it seemed. However, Minneapolis-based Secret Stash Records dug up the original tunes and decided that it was time for the world to finally hear the genius of Mickey Murray. The re-issued vinyl for People Are Together is out January 17 (with a limited run of a 45 originally released on Federal Records), and Murray will be town for a show at the Cedar Cultural Center on January 21.


This Sunday at 9 p.m., January 14, tune in to hear Bill DeVille talk with the legendary soul singer, now in his 70s working the job he's had for decades as a barber in Augusta, GA.


Watch the video below to find out more information about his career and the album.




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