Great Rock And Roll Nicknames: Mr. Personality

"Mr. Personality" Performing at This Year's R&R Hall of Fame Ceremony (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

So nicknamed for his million-selling hit from 1959, Lloyd Price is “Mr. Personality.”

Born in New Orleans in 1933, Lloyd Price followed a road similar to many of his peers. Reared by a musical family, he started his career playing trumpet in local dance bands. By the time he reached 15, he was broadcasting on local radio station WBOK, for which he wrote jingles (one of which evolved into his hit “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”).

In the early 1950s, Art Rupe of Specialty Records landed in The Big Easy in search of someone to compete with the success of Fats Domino. Impressed with Price’s audition of “Miss Clawdy,” Rupe signed him and helped turn the song into an R&B hit. His super-stardom seemed assured but for a stint in the service starting in 1953. When he returned home, he found that Little Richard had become Specialty’s new darling.

In 1957, Price moved to Washington and, being an astute businessman, partnered with Harold Logan to form KRC Records. He sold his single, “Just Because,” to ABC-Paramount in 1957, setting motion a string of nine Top 40 singles that included “Stagger Lee” and his namesake, “Personality.”

Though the song is better known to the mass populace than his name, Lloyd Price is well-respected as both an artist and a businessman. He hasn’t see much chart success since leaving ABC-Paramount (save for his cover of “Misty,” released on his own Double-L label in 1963), but has remained active in the industry.

“Mr. Personality” was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and performed at the 2011 ceremony last month, in honor of inductee Art Rupe.