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Roland Stone

Between the 1950s and 1990s, Roland Stone, known initially as Roland LeBlanc, was a popular R&B and Pop singer from New Orleans who recorded and performed extensively during his career. He was born on August 12, 1941, and passed away on December 22, 1999. Singer Aaron Neville described him as "the singingest white guy I've ever heard." 

 

Born in New Orleans, he began playing guitar during his teenage years as a member of The Jokers, a Warren Easton High School band. His entry into The Skyliners came in 1959 through an invitation extended by Mac Rebennack, who was later known as Dr. John. Although he secured a contract with Ace Records, his initial recording was actually for the Spinett label set up by the singer Frankie Ford and manager Joe Caronna,  This debut recording was a rendition of the song "Junco Partner," reworked as "Preacher's Daughter." Caronna altered the singer's name to Stone for contractual reasons. He proceeded to record "Something Special" at the Ace label, a track composed and produced by Rebennack and arranged by Allen Toussaint. In addition, he recorded "Just A Moment", which garnered regional success and is estimated to have sold 100,000 copies. Although earlier records were successful, later recordings in the early 1960s, some released on Cosimo Matassa's White Cliffs label,  did not achieve the same level of sales. 

 

Stone left the music industry in 1964. After working in New Orleans and Texas under his given name, he eventually moved back to his hometown in 1979 to assist at his uncle's dry cleaning business. 

Following an approach from record producer Carlo Ditta, he recorded again with Dr. John anew in the 1990s, releasing two albums on Orleans Records, Remember Me and Live on the Creole Queen.

 

In addition to his work at a galvanized metal company alongside his brother, he continued to perform at nearby clubs and festivals. In 1999, his Ace recordings were compiled and released in the UK. At the age of 58, he died in New Orleans that year.

releases

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Roland Stone
Remember Me

Go On Fool / Lovey Dovey /

She's the One / Try the Impossible /

You Can Make It If You Try / Remember Me / Please Don't Leave Me / Down the Road / The Masquerade Is Over / Ain't Gonna Do It

Roland Stone - Live On The Creole Queen - Cover Outside 1.jpg

Roland Stone
Live on the Creole Queen

Sick and Tired / Every Dog Has Its Day /

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye / Just A Moment / You Cheated / Waiting at the Station /

Is It a Dream / Ya Ya /

Honky Tonk Woman / Go On Fool

Originally Released: March 9th, 1993 ___________________________________________________________ Roland Stone - Vocals Mac Rebennack [Dr. John] - Piano & Guitar Earl Stanley - Bass, Organ & Guitar Solos John Vidacovich - Drums Joe Malone - Vibes & Saxophone Herman Gilmore - Saxophone Buck Baker - Saxophone David Verret - Baritone Sax Henry Guerineaux - Trumpet Eric Simmons - Trombone Charlie Miller - Flugelhorn & Flute Johnny Jay - Guitar Solo on “Remember Me” “Go on Fool” written by Dave Bartholomew & Dorothy Ester EMI / UNART Cat. Inc., BMI “Lovey Dovey” written by Memphis Curtis & Ahmet Ertegun Chappell & Co. Inc., ASCAP Unichappell Music Pub., BMI “She’s the One” written by Henry ‘Hank’ Ballard Trio Music Co., Inc. / Fort Knox Music Inc., BMI “Try the Impossible” written by Thomas Curry & Barry Golder Spinmill Music Corp. / G&H Music, BMI “You Can Make It If You Try” written by Ted Jarrett Sunflower Music, Inc., ASCAP “Remember Me” written by Mac Rebennack ACE Music Publishing, BMI “Please Don’t Leave Me” written by Antoine “Fats” Domino EMI / UNART Cat. Inc., BMI “Down the Road” written by Dave Bartholomew & Smiley Lewis EMI / UNART Cat. Inc., BMI “The Masquerade Is Over” written by Herbert Magidson & Allie Wrubel Music Sales Corp. / Magidson Music Co. Inc., ASCAP “Ain’t Gonna Do It” written by Dave Bartholomew & Pearl King EMI / UNART Cat. Inc., BMI Produced by Carlo Ditta Engineered by Roger Branch & Steve Himelfarb Photography by Marta Mac Rebennack appears courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Recorded at Sea-Saint Recording Studio, New Orleans, LA [November 1991] and The New Orleans Recording Company [August 1992] ℗© 1992 Orleans Records, Inc.

Originally Released: October 7th, 1997 ___________________________________________________________ Roland Stone - Piano & Vocals Ronnie Boudreaux - Guitar Barry Rodriguez - Bass Donnie Burdet - Drums Wilbert Tank - Trumpet Tommy Alfortish - Tenor Sax Skip Easterling - Backing Vocals Alexandra Parker - Backing Vocals Earl Stanley - Tambourine “Sick and Tired” written by Dave Bartholomew & Chris Kenner EMI, UNART Catalog, Inc., BMI “Every Dog Has Its Day” written by Edwin J. Bocage Eboville Publishing Company, BMI “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” written by Alfred Lloyd Reed, Jr. Chervalin Publishing Co. / Frisco Publishing, Co., BMI “Just A Moment” written by Sunny Ozuna Music Corporation of America, Inc., BMI “You Cheated” written by Don Burch BMI “Waiting at the Station” written by Ernest Kador Minit Music, Co. / K Do Music, BMI “Is It A Dream” written by Bobby Robinson Gambi Music, Inc., BMI “Ya Ya” written by Morris Levy & Clarence Lewis Longitude Music Company, BMI “Honky Tonk Woman” written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards ABKCO Music Inc., BMI “Go on Fool” written by Dave Bartholomew & Dorothy Ester EMI / UNART Cat. Inc., BMI Recorded “Live” on the Paddle Wheeler Creole Queen in the Middle of the Mississippi River, May 4th, 1996 Produced by Carlo Ditta Engineered & Mixed by Carlo Ditta & Earl Stanley Mastered by Parker Dinkins Design by Celia Sinclair and $uzie Million$ ℗© 1997 Orleans Records, Inc.

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