I have at least sixteen versions of the classic song “Stagger Lee” on my iPod. Yet, I only recently discovered this version that I love recorded by Lloyd Price.
Lloyd Price’s version of “Stagger Lee” topped the pop and R&B charts in 1958, and it also made the top 10 in the U.K singles charts. The folk song about Stagger Lee killing Billy Lyons, however, has been around since at least 1911 when it was first published.
Price was born on March 9, 1933, and he is from Kenner, Louisiana. The town has a street named after him and celebrates an annual Lloyd Price Day.
Although his first hit – “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” — was in 1952, many still recognized his legacy. He gave this interview in 2013.
Price, who was nicknamed “Mr. Personality,” was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked his version of “Stagger Lee” as among the top 500 greatest songs of all time (although the song dropped out of the top 500 in the 2010 ranking). 2021 Update: Price passed away at the age of 88 on May 9, 2021.
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