COusin Leroy

Biography

Cousin Leroy was the stage name of Leroy Rozier (also documented as Leroy Asbell), a singer, guitarist and harmonica player born on September 30, 1925 in Chester, Georgia, USA. He came from a rural Southern background and, like many postwar bluesmen, moved north, eventually surfacing in New York City’s rhythm-and-blues scene in the mid‑1950s. Very little is known for certain about his early life, but accounts consistently place his origins in rural Georgia and describe him as a largely mysterious figure whose personal history was only partially reconstructed by later blues researchers.

Cousin Leroy’s recording career was brief but distinctive, running roughly from 1955 to 1957, during which he cut a small body of sides for New York independent labels. His records were firmly rooted in the down‑home blues tradition even as they were marketed in the R&B era, with rough‑edged vocals, driving guitar, and prominent harmonica that put the “blues” ahead of smoother commercial influences. Later critics described his work as an example of postwar New York blues that preserved a Southern feel, and his scarcity on record, combined with fragmentary biographical data, has made him one of the more enigmatic figures of postwar blues scholarship. Despite limited commercial impact, his recordings have been reissued and discussed by blues historians, ensuring a modest legacy among collectors and genre specialists.

Cousin Leroy’s later life and date of death remain uncertain in published sources, contributing to his reputation as a “lost” or “mysterious” artist in postwar blues history. Nevertheless, modern discographies and reissue notes have helped document his complete known output and confirm his identity under multiple name variants, preserving his place as a minor but intriguing voice in the 1950s New York blues milieu.

Fun Facts

• Cousin Leroy recorded under multiple civil names and nicknames, including Leroy Rozier, reportedly born Leroy Asbell, and the alias “Chewin’ Gum.”
• Blues writers describe him as one of the most mysterious figures in postwar blues, with key details of his life and death still undocumented.
• Although active in the peak R&B era, his records are noted for putting the emphasis squarely on traditional blues rather than the more polished R&B sound of the time.
• His known recording career was extremely short, concentrated between 1955 and 1957, which adds to the rarity and collector interest in his original singles.

Musical Connections

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Goin' Back Home (Juke Joint Blues Black Cat Rag)
2. I'm Lonesome (Playboy & Girl Next Door)
3. Crossroads (The Glory of Love - From the Vaults)
4. Will a Matchbox Hold My Clothes (Memories of the Great 1950's, Vol. 2)
5. Catfish
6. Goin' Back Home (Music Road, Vol. 4 - Pop Travel)
7. Will a Matchbox Hold My Clothes (Pure Nostalgia, Vol. 4)
8. Will a Matchbox Hold My Clothes (Music Road,Vol. 12 - Pop Travel)
9. I'm Lonesome (Music Road,Vol. 12 - Pop Travel)
10. Will a Matchbox Hold My Clothes

External Links

• Spotify