Baby Huey & the Babysitters were a soul band hailing from Gary, Indiana

Gary, Indiana

Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...

 and founded in 1963 by organist / trumpeter Melvyn "Deacon" Jones

Melvyn "Deacon" Jones

Melvyn "Deacon" Jones is an organ player and founding member of Baby Huey & the Babysitters.-Biography:In 1963 along with Johnny Ross and Jimmy Ramey aka Baby Huey, Jones formed Baby Huey & the Babysitters who went on to become a well known live attraction in Chicago...

 and guitarist Johnny Ross

Johnny Ross

Johnny Ross was a multi instrumentalist, singer songwriter and founding member of Baby Huey & the Babysitters who died in 2006 as a result of appendicitis. He also hosted his own cable television show.-Biography:...

. James Ramey became their front man and adopted the stage name of Baby Huey which was after the Baby Huey duck character. They were well known on the club scene in Chicago.

Biography

The group came into being as a result of Johnny Ross, Melvyn Jones later to be known as Melvyn "Deacon" Jones and James Ramey getting together. In the beginning they would practice in the sound-proof room at the home of Melvyn Jones. The room was built for Melvyn and his drummer brother Harold Jones to practice in.

During their career they recoded four songs which were released on four singles between 1964 to 1965. They were also shipped to Paris France tp play at the coming out party for the daughter of the Baron de Rothschild. In 1966 they were added to the client roster of Capitol Booking.

1969

It was reported in the Billboard Magazine 17 May 1969 that the band was due to appear on the Merv Griffin Show on 21 May 1969.

1970

By 1970 most or all of the original Babysitter members had left and had been replaced by new personnel. Melvyn Jones was one of the last original founding members to leave.

Ramey died on October 28, 1970. He was in the midst of recording his debut album for the Curtom label. The album that was released posthumously only featured some songs by the Babysitters. The rest were with Curtom session musicians.

The Babysitters reformed briefly to play at Ramey's funeral. Manager Marv Stuart would later take some former members incl Dave Cook to form Goliath with aspiring singer Chaka Kahn.

Post Baby Huey & The Babysitters

Melvyn Jones would join The Impressions touring band and became A&R man for Curtom Records. He would also work with Freddie King

Freddie King

Freddie King , thought to have been born as Frederick Christian, originally recording as Freddy King, and nicknamed "the Texas Cannonball", was an influential African-American blues guitarist and singer. He is often mentioned as one of "the Three Kings" of electric blues guitar, along with Albert...

  and John Lee Hooker

John Lee Hooker

John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...

later be called Melvyn "Deacon" Jones. Johnny Ross would end up recording some singles and later have his own cable television show.

Dennis Moore the original drummer had killed himself after coming back from Vietnam. He had lost his ability to play drums. Having dropped out of school so he could go to Paris with the band, he had lost his draft exempt status by leaving school.

Johnny Ross died in 2006 from a hear attack related to appendicitis.

Original line up early - mid 60s

• James Ramey: lead vocals
• Johnny Ross: lead guitar
• Melvyn Jones: trumpet and organ
• Larry Sales: bass guitar
• Dennis Moore: drums

Added later

• Byron Watkins: saxophone
• Charles Clark: saxophone

Late 60s members

• James Ramey (Baby Huey): lead vocals
• Melvyn Jones: keyboards
• Othello Anderson: flute
• Rene Smith: percussion
• Byron Watkins: tenor saxophone
• Rick Marcotte: trumpet
• Alton Littles: trumpet
• Danny O'Neil: guitar
• Dave Cook: organ
• Dan Alfano: bass guitar
• Plato Jones: bongos

Additional personnel

• Jack Renee: unknown instrument
• Philip Henry: unknown instrument
• Moose (nickname): unknown instrument

Releases

• Just Being Careful / Messin' With the Kid .... Shann 73924
• Just Being Careful / Messin' With the Kid ....USA 801
• Monkey Man / Messin' With the Kid .... Satellite 2013
• Monkey Man / Messin' With the Kid .... St. Lawrence 1002
• Monkey Man / Beg Me ....St. Lawrence 1002 (blue label)
• Mighty Mighty Children Pt I / Mighty Mighty Children Pt II .... Curtom CR 1939