IVORY JOE HUNTER

Biography

Ivory Joe Hunter was born on October 10, 1914, in Kirbyville, Texas, into a deeply musical family. His mother was a gospel singer and his father, Dave Hunter, played guitar. Contrary to assumptions, Ivory Joe was his given name, not a stage name—according to Hunter, his parents thought he looked like the baby on the Castoria Ivory bottle when he was born. He showed exceptional musical talent early, becoming a proficient pianist by age 13 and playing in school orchestras. After his parents died when he was thirteen, he moved to Port Arthur to live with relatives, graduating from Lincoln High School in 1930. By 1933, at just 19 years old, he made his first recording for Alan Lomax and the Library of Congress under the pseudonym Ivory Joe White.

Hunter's professional career took off in the early 1940s when he hosted his own radio show on KFDM in Beaumont, Texas, eventually becoming program manager. In 1942, he relocated to California's West Coast, where he demonstrated his entrepreneurial spirit by starting his own label, Ivory Records, in Oakland. His first commercial hit, "Blues at Sunrise," became a regional success. Throughout the late 1940s and 1950s, Hunter recorded for multiple labels including 4 Star, King, MGM, and Atlantic, earning the nicknames "The Baron of the Boogie" and "The Happiest Man Alive." His breakthrough came in 1950 when "I Almost Lost My Mind" topped the R&B charts, followed by "I Need You So" reaching number 2. His biggest crossover success was "Since I Met You Baby" (1956), which reached number 12 on the pop charts and became his only top forty pop hit.

Hunter's musical versatility was remarkable, seamlessly moving between R&B, blues, boogie-woogie, and country music. As R&B's popularity waned in the 1960s, he successfully transitioned to country music, moving to Nashville and performing regularly at the Grand Ole Opry. He became one of the few artists honored at both the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Grand Ole Opry, reflecting his unique crossover appeal. As a prolific songwriter who reportedly wrote over 7,000 songs during his lifetime, his compositions were covered by major artists including Pat Boone, Elvis Presley, and Sonny James, whose 1969 version of "Since I Met You Baby" topped the country charts. Hunter's influence extended to important artists like Isaac Hayes and Ray Charles. He was named Cash Box's "Jazz and Blues Artist of the Year" in 1950. Despite his success, mounting medical bills from declining health drained his finances. He died of lung cancer in Memphis, Tennessee, on November 8, 1974, and was buried in his hometown of Kirbyville. A Texas Historical Marker was erected in his honor in Jasper County in 2009, and he is commemorated in the Museum of the Gulf Coast's Music Hall of Fame in Port Arthur.

Fun Facts

• Ivory Joe was his actual given name, not a stage name or nickname. His parents named him Ivory because they thought he looked like the baby on the Castoria Ivory bottle when he was born.
• Hunter was uniquely honored at both the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Grand Ole Opry, making him one of the rare artists to be celebrated in both jazz and country music communities.
• He reportedly wrote over 7,000 songs during his lifetime, demonstrating extraordinary prolific output as a composer.
• Hunter started his own record labels—first Ivory Records in Oakland, then Pacific Records—showing his entrepreneurial side before achieving mainstream success with major labels.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Alan Lomax - Recorded Hunter's first session for the Library of Congress, providing early documentation of his talent (Library of Congress recordings) [1933]

Key Collaborators

• Johnny Moore's Three Blazers - Hunter's first commercial recording collaboration (Early commercial recordings) [1940s]
• Duke Ellington Band Members - Members of Duke Ellington's band backed Hunter on multiple recordings ("I Quit My Pretty Mama" and "Guess Who") [1949]

Artists Influenced

• Isaac Hayes - Hunter's smooth R&B style and crossover approach influenced Hayes's musical development (General stylistic influence) [1960s-1970s]
• Ray Charles - Hunter's blend of blues, R&B, and crossing into multiple genres influenced Charles's approach (General stylistic influence) [1950s-1970s]
• Rick Stevens - Hunter's nephew who became the original lead vocalist for Tower of Power (Tower of Power early recordings) [1960s-1970s]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Since I Met You Baby (Ivory Joe Hunter)
2. Shooty Booty - Bonus Track (Ivory Joe Hunter)
3. Are you hep (Joe Hunter 1945-1950: I Almost Lost My Mind (Blues Collection Historical Recordings))
4. Are You Hep? (I Almost Lost My Mind: 1945-50)
5. I Got to Learn to Do the Mambo (Ivory Joe Hunter)
6. Can't Explain How It Happened (Stax-Volt: The Complete Singles 1959-1968)
7. That's Why I Dream (Ivory Joe Hunter)
8. I'm Cuttin' Out (Ivory Joe Hunter)
9. Shooty Booty (The Baron of the Boogie)
10. It's a Doggone Crying Shame (Ivory Joe Hunter)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #blues, #boogie-woogie, #r&b