Larry Williams recorded some great sides for Specialty (Bony Moronie, Dizzy Miss Lizzy) that would become cornerstones of the genre and of the record company itself. Unlike Little Richard, Larry never really got the success he deserved and his latest singles for Specialty did not sell very well. In 1959 things started to go bad for Specialty´s owner Art Rupe: Little Richard left rock'n'roll for christian music and Sam Cooke signed with RCA after some fantastic singles with the Soul Stirrers on Specialty. Larry Williams also left Specialty and started to record for Chess Records out of Chicago. From 59 to 61 Larry waxed five singles for Leonard and Phil Chess – all of them are now on Get Ready Baby! A full length LP was scheduled, but never released.
In 1961 Larry was convicted for dealing with narcotics and he served a 3 year sentence which set back his career considerably. He resurfaced and cooperated with Johnny „Guitar“ Watson,played in a few Hollywood movies and chased his friend Little Richard through the streets of L.A. with a gun threatening to kill him, because he failed to pay for the cocaine and heroin Williams provided. Williams died in his Los Angeles, California home of a gunshot wound to the head on January 7, 1980. He was 44 years old.
He might've been crazy and unstable, but he recorded some really fine music!
Side A.
1. Lawdy Mama
2. Like a Gentleman Oughta
3. Everyday I Wonder
4. Baby Baby
5. My Baby's Got Soul
Side B.
1. Fresh Out of Tears
2. Get Ready
3. I Wanna Know
4. Oh Baby
5. I Hear My Baby
6. My Baby's Got Soul (Alt. Take)
