Blues legend Huey “Piano” Smith was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 26, 1934. Smith began playing in a duo in New Orleans at the age of eight years old and played straight through his days at McDowell High and Xavier University of Louisiana.He signed his first record deal at the age of 18 in 1952 with Savoy Records and by the age of 21 he was playing full time with Little Richard’s band. He later formed his own band called Huey “Piano” Smith and the Clowns and scored a number of hits on the Billboard R&B chart. Smith later became a devout Jehovah’s Witness and left the music business entirely but is considered a pioneer of rock piano. In “Talking Jazz: An Oral History” by Ben Sidran, Dr. John says Smith would always slip his New Orleans Jazz influences into recordings, noting: “Whenever he was given a chance he would slip those things in.”