Composer, pianist/ singer Ivory Joe Hunter was born on October 10, 1914, in Kirbyville, Texas to Dave Hunter, a blues guitarist, and Anna Smith Hunter, a pianist/ gospel singer. Ivory began piano lessons at age 5 with his mother. After his mother died when he was 13, Hunterโs godmother, Savanah White Riley, washed clothing for people to get money for piano lessons for Hunter. Hunter attended Lincoln High School in Port Arthur, Texas, where he was a member of the orchestra and choir. In addition, he formed a small band and played piano at school dances. He graduated in 1930 at 16.
In 1933, Hunter recordedโ Stack O Leeโ on a cylinder in Wiergate, Texas for John Lomax and Alan Lomax, father and son folklorists for the Library of Congressโs Archive of American Folk Song. He also hosted a radio show and was a program manager with KFDM in Beaumont, Texas.
In 1942, Hunter was billed as โThe Baron of the Boogieโ and โThe Happiest Man Alive.โ His repertoire included R&B, blues, boogie-woogie, and even Country & Western. He relocated to Los Angeles, California in 1942 and the following year started Ivory Records. In 1948, he formed Pacific Records in Oakland and released โPretty Mama Bluesโ that topped the R&B chart and remained charted for 3 weeks.
In the 1950s, Hunter composed and arranged 21 songs, of which 18 appeared on Billboardโs R&B charts 21 times and 4 times on Billboardโs Hot 100. It included โI Need Youโ that peaked at no. 1 R&B and โI Quit My Pretty Mamaโ that reached no. 4 R&B in 1950; the blues ballad โSince I Met You Babyโ in 1956, which peaked at no. 1 R&B, no. 12 Billboard Hot 100 and no. 16 on Billboardโs Roc and Roll chart. His โA Tear Fellโ released in 1956, reached no. 15 R&B. In 1957 โEmpty Armsโ peaked at no. 2 R&B and no. 43 on the Billboard Hot 100. โYes, I Want Youโ in 1958, reached no. 13 R&B and no. 94 on the Billboard Hot 100. The decade ended with his release in 1959 of โCity Lightsโ that reached no. 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 1974, Hunter received a BMI Songwriter Award.
Ivory Joe Hunter, who wrote more than 7,000 songs, died on November 8, 1974, of Lung Cancer in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 60. And in 2009, the Jasper County Historical Commission, the Jefferson County Historical Commission, and the Port Arthur Historical Society unveiled a Texas state historical marker honoring Ivory Joe Hunter at his gravesite.
