Say the name Smiley and most people I know will associate it with the character from John Le Carre’s novels and and their film adaptations. But that’s not where I’m going tonight. Tonight your Daily Dose goes down to New Orleans to celebrate Smiley Lewis. Mr. Lewis has been referred to as the unluckiest man in New Orleans because he found himself deep in the shadow of Fats Domino. He was born in 1913 and passed in 1966 of stomach cancer.
Here’s the Smiley Lewis original of You Hear me Knockin’ followed by the cover of his song by the more popular Fats Domino.
Back to Smiley, here he is performing One Night of Sin. Nice!
Why did you go away and leave me in Big Mamou? Why’d you do it babe?
One more….Fans of the HBO show Treme will know this one as it was the title and focus of the fifth episode of that show, which included a re-written version. This tune rocks.
Hats off to Smiley Lewis tonight.
27th Street 