R&B and gospel singer Larry Birdsong was born in Pulaski, Tennessee on June 15, 1934. While he was known as an R&B vocalist, he was versatile and also recorded blues, doo wop, jazz, gospel, rock ’n’ roll, and pop vocal sides. Raised in a musical family, he was discovered by a Nashville music promoter while he was serving time at Pikeville Reformatory School. The promoter reportedly signed Larry Birdsong to Excello Records in order to secure his release from probation. In 1955, he cut his first single backed by Louis Brooks and His Hi-Toppers, but he didn’t see any chart action until his next single, “Pleadin’ My Love”. The single became a smash hit, rising to Number 11 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart. He then moved to Calvert Records, but his single “Let’s Try It Again” was not a hit, even when licensed to Decca Records. Larry Birdsong signed to Vee-Jay Records in 1957, but failed to achieve any hits. After leaving the label, several of his recordings from this period were issued on other labels in 1958 and 1959. In the 1960s, he recorded for the Home of the Blues, Sur-Sound, and Ref-O-Ree labels without success. Larry Birdsong withdrew from the music business after a 1973 single, but resurfaced in 1982 with his final release, a gospel album entitled I’m Glad I Chose God. Larry Birdsong died on August 7, 1990, at the age of 56. Since his death, his recordings have been compiled on the compilations Every Night in the Week (2003) and An Introduction to Larry Birdsong (2014).
