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important rhythm 'n' blues pianists was Henry Roeland Byrd, better known as Professor Longhair. He was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana in 1918 but grew up in New Orleans. A New Orleans drummer, Charles Connor, said, "He had the rhumba and the conga and all that stuff, and a little bit of blues"²⁵ and influenced Huey Smith and Dr. John. Atlantic's Ahmet Ertegun heard Professor Longhair during a scouting visit to New Orleans in 1949. He had already recorded "Mardi Gras In New Orleans" for a Texas label, which folded, and re-recorded it for Atlantic. Here is:

Mardi Gras In New Orleans ^1:06

The biggest rhythm 'n' blues artist of the 1950's came from the Crescent City too, but, like many others, recorded for a Los Angeles label, Imperial Records, formed in 1949 to record Mexican music. Imperial's owner wanted to get in on the ground floor of the new rhythm 'n' blues scene. In December, 1949 he heard Antoine "Fats" Domino Jr. singing in a New Orleans club. Domino was born in New Orleans in 1929. His first language was French.

This song, "The Fat Man", was a re-write of a prison song, "Junker's Blues." Domino deleted references to needles, cocaine and reefers. The song opens with Professor Longhair flavored boogie-woogie piano, and includes references to New Orleans streets - Rampart and Canal. Two years later, another New Orleans singer, Lloyd Price, had a seven week # 1 R&B hit with "Lawdy Miss Clawdy." Here is:

The Fat Man ^1:18

In 1951, a song by a husband and wife team - a country and