Calvin Leavy
Encyclopedia
Calvin Leavy was an African American
soul blues
and electric blues
singer and guitarist. He had a hit single
in 1970, when "Cummins Prison Farm" peaked at number 40 on the US
Billboard
R&B
chart
, and stayed in the chart for five weeks. More locally, it was number one on the chart of the Memphis, Tennessee
based radio station, WDIA
.
Later in his life, Leavy became the first person indicted under the 1988 Drug Kingpin Law, and he subsequently died in prison.
. He was the youngest son of fifteen children, and started singing in his church choir. By his adolescence, Leavy sang with various gospel
ensembles
in Little Rock
. He formed the Leavy Brothers Band in 1954, and they were popular locally, before relocating to Fresno, California
. By the end of 1968, they moved back to Little Rock, and played at local clubs
. Through this work, Leavy was offered recording time in E&M Studios in Little Rock. As well as a cover version
of "Tennessee Waltz", the group recorded the song "Cummins Prison Farm", which was written by Bill Cole. Leavy used the prison experiences of one of his brothers to expand the lyrical content. It was originally issued on Soul Beat Records, and underwent subsequent national distribution via Blue Fox Records, that label's first release. "Cummins Prison Farm", reached number 40 on the Billboard R&B chart. Recorded in one take, it was one of 27 blues based songs that reached the R&B chart in 1970.
Leavy recorded further singles
for Acquarian, Soul Beat, Downtown and Messenger Records. These included "Nothing But Your Love", "Give Me a Love (That I Can Feel)" and "Goin’ to the Dogs Pt. 1". In addition, the band made some recordings for the Arkansas Bicentennial Blues Project, which were archived at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock
. They also appeared in 1977 at the Beale Street Music Festival
, before disbanding. Forming Calvin Leavy and the Professionals, he and his new outfit remained popular locally. They recorded "Is It Worth All (That I'm Going Through)", "Big Four", "What Kind of Love", "Free From Cummins Prison Farm", and the prophetic "If Life Last Luck Is Bound to Change". However, further national chart success eluded him. Nevertheless, he maintained a strong fan base in the South
, and his records often appeared on local jukebox
es.
In 1991, Leavy was charged with making payments to an undercover police officer, and was convicted in July 1992, of multiple drug related offences. He was sentenced to life plus twenty-five years. His imprisonment started at Cummins Prison
. By 2004, his sentence was commuted to seventy-five years.
In June 2010, Leavy died at the age of 70 in the Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff, Arkansas
, having been eligible for parole in eighteen months time.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
soul blues
Soul blues
Soul blues is a style of blues music developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s that combines elements of soul music and urban contemporary music...
and electric blues
Electric blues
Electric blues is a type of blues music distinguished by the amplification of the guitar, bass guitar, drums, and often the harmonica. Pioneered in the 1930s, it emerged as a genre in Chicago in the 1940s. It was taken up in many areas of America leading to the development of regional subgenres...
singer and guitarist. He had a hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in 1970, when "Cummins Prison Farm" peaked at number 40 on the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, and stayed in the chart for five weeks. More locally, it was number one on the chart of the Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
based radio station, WDIA
WDIA
WDIA is an AM radio station in Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States of America. Its radio frequency is 1070 kHz. In 1962 it became the first U.S. radio station programmed by African-Americans, though its ownership was white.-History:...
.
Later in his life, Leavy became the first person indicted under the 1988 Drug Kingpin Law, and he subsequently died in prison.
Biography
Calvin James Leavy was born in Scott, Pulaski County, Arkansas, United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was the youngest son of fifteen children, and started singing in his church choir. By his adolescence, Leavy sang with various gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
ensembles
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
in Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
. He formed the Leavy Brothers Band in 1954, and they were popular locally, before relocating to Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
. By the end of 1968, they moved back to Little Rock, and played at local clubs
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
. Through this work, Leavy was offered recording time in E&M Studios in Little Rock. As well as a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Tennessee Waltz", the group recorded the song "Cummins Prison Farm", which was written by Bill Cole. Leavy used the prison experiences of one of his brothers to expand the lyrical content. It was originally issued on Soul Beat Records, and underwent subsequent national distribution via Blue Fox Records, that label's first release. "Cummins Prison Farm", reached number 40 on the Billboard R&B chart. Recorded in one take, it was one of 27 blues based songs that reached the R&B chart in 1970.
Leavy recorded further singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
for Acquarian, Soul Beat, Downtown and Messenger Records. These included "Nothing But Your Love", "Give Me a Love (That I Can Feel)" and "Goin’ to the Dogs Pt. 1". In addition, the band made some recordings for the Arkansas Bicentennial Blues Project, which were archived at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
University of Arkansas at Little Rock , is a public research university located in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, and the second largest university by enrollment in the state of Arkansas....
. They also appeared in 1977 at the Beale Street Music Festival
Memphis in May
Memphis in May is a month long festival held in Memphis, Tennessee. The festival itself is split into four main events: The Beale Street Music Festival, the kick-off event which showcases a mix of local and national music acts, International Week, a group of events dedicated to the country that is...
, before disbanding. Forming Calvin Leavy and the Professionals, he and his new outfit remained popular locally. They recorded "Is It Worth All (That I'm Going Through)", "Big Four", "What Kind of Love", "Free From Cummins Prison Farm", and the prophetic "If Life Last Luck Is Bound to Change". However, further national chart success eluded him. Nevertheless, he maintained a strong fan base in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, and his records often appeared on local jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
es.
In 1991, Leavy was charged with making payments to an undercover police officer, and was convicted in July 1992, of multiple drug related offences. He was sentenced to life plus twenty-five years. His imprisonment started at Cummins Prison
Cummins Unit
The Cummins Unit is an Arkansas Department of Correction prison in unincorporated Lincoln County, Arkansas, United States. It is located along U.S. Route 65, near Grady, Gould, and Varner, south of Pine Bluff, and southeast of Little Rock.This prison farm is a correctional facility...
. By 2004, his sentence was commuted to seventy-five years.
In June 2010, Leavy died at the age of 70 in the Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
, having been eligible for parole in eighteen months time.
Compilation albums
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | The Best of Calvin Leavy | TAM |
| 2003 | Cummins Prison Farm | P-Vine P-Vine Records P-Vine Records is a record label started by Blues Interactions, Inc., a firm in Tokyo, Japan established in 1975 by Yasufumi Higurashi and Akira Kochi... |