shorty long

Biography

Frederick Earl 'Shorty' Long was born on May 20, 1940, in Birmingham, Alabama, where he developed his musical talents early on, learning from local figures like Alvin 'Shine' Robinson and W.C. Handy. A multi-instrumentalist proficient on piano, organ, drums, guitar, trumpet, and harmonica, he worked as a DJ, toured with the Ink Spots, and performed at clubs like Old Stables before moving to Detroit in 1959 at age 19 to pursue a recording career.[1][2][3]

In Detroit, Long impressed Harvey Fuqua, recording singles for Fuqua's Tri-Phi label, which was sold to Berry Gordy, bringing Long to Motown. His debut Motown single, 'Devil with the Blue Dress On' (1964), co-written with William 'Mickey' Stevenson, launched the Soul Records imprint but did not chart, though Mitch Ryder's cover became a hit. Long served as MC for Motortown Revue tours, co-wrote tracks like 'Function at the Junction' (1966, #42 R&B) with Eddie Holland, and achieved his biggest success with 'Here Comes the Judge' (#8 Pop, #4 R&B in 1968). Notably, he was one of only two Motown artists—alongside Smokey Robinson—allowed to self-produce in the 1960s, releasing works like 'I Had a Dream' (1969) with Sylvia Moy.[1][2][3][6]

Long's funky, upbeat soul style, blending Motown polish with bluesy grit, earned praise as an unsung hero, but his career was cut short on June 29, 1969, when he drowned at age 29 in the Detroit River during a fishing accident with friend Oscar Williams. Posthumously, Motown released The Prime of Shorty Long (1969), and he was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1980, cementing his legacy in northern soul and classic Motown.[1][2][3]

Fun Facts

• Standing just over five feet tall, Long earned his nickname 'Shorty' and was known as one of Motown's funkiest singers.[1][6]
• He was an obsessive fisherman; he drowned on the Detroit River when his boat capsized in a freighter's slipstream.[1][2]
• Long would arrive at Hitsville U.S.A. studio declaring 'Today we ain’t playing nuthin’ but funk,' pulling out liquor for non-funky musicians.[1][2]
• His track 'Devil with the Blue Dress On' was the first release on Motown's Soul Records but flopped until Mitch Ryder's #4 hit cover.[2][3][5]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Alvin 'Shine' Robinson - local music teacher/inspiration in Birmingham (early musical education) [childhood, 1940s-1950s]
• W.C. Handy - influential figure learned about music from in Birmingham (early musical development) [childhood, 1940s-1950s]

Key Collaborators

• Harvey Fuqua - label owner who signed him to Tri-Phi (singles like 'I'll Be Here' (1962), 'Too Smart' (1962)) [1959-1963]
• William 'Mickey' Stevenson - co-writer and A&R head ('Devil with the Blue Dress On' (1964)) [1963-1964]
• Eddie Holland - co-writer ('Function at the Junction' (1966)) [1966]
• Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier - producers ('Function at the Junction' (1966)) [1966]
• Sylvia Moy - co-writer ('I Had a Dream' (1969)) [1969]
• Earl Van Dyke - session pianist and collaborator in studio (various Motown sessions) [1960s]

Artists Influenced

• Marvin Gaye - advocated for Long's promotion at Motown, described as unsung hero (fought for productions like those from Holland-Dozier-Holland) [1960s]

External Links

• Spotify