Smiley Lewis

Smiley Lewis (5 July 1913 7 October 1966) was a New Orleans rhythm and blues musician.

Lewis was born in DeQuincy, Louisiana, U.S., with the given name of Overton Amos Lemons.

He began to play music in New Orleans, in his mid-teens. Lewis had hit songs in 1952 with "The Bells Are Ringing", and in 1955 with the original recorded version of "I Hear You Knocking" (written by Dave Bartholomew and Pearl King).

Lewis' own song "Blue Monday" was covered by Fats Domino. Whilst Elvis Presley's cover of the Lewis song "One Night" (altering one risque lyric) was #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #1 on UK Singles Chart.

Dave Edmunds' cover of "I Hear You Knocking" also reached number one in the UK. His version of the song lyric actually name checks Lewis (alongside Chuck Berry and Huey Smith).

Lewis' track "Shame, Shame, Shame" appeared on the soundtrack of the film, Baby Doll in 1956, but failed to find entry to the R&B chart.

Lewis died in the autumn of 1966 from stomach cancer. He was all but forgotten outside of his New Orleans home base.

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