Bill Yates - Blues Like Midnight

"Bill Yates belonged to the final wave of Sun recording artists, the acts that comprised the very last singles released by Sam Phillips' legendary label in the early '60s. Memphis-based Yates was a piano player and a soulful singer, so it's not surprising that his closest antecedent was Charlie Rich, who left Sun not long before Yates signed. None of Yates singles were hits but he did wind up with some of the better singles Sun released during this closing act.

Yates was born on December 21, 1936 in Columbus, Georgia, the son of an evangelist. Bill sang in church as he grew up and, as a teen, he and his brother Vance started to seriously pursue music, planning to earn a living as traveling musicians. They began by touring in Georgia and Alabama and, at some point in 1958, it appears Bill Yates wound up making his recording debut playing piano on the Phantom's rockabilly cult classic "Love Me." Around this time, Bill relocated to Memphis, where he became friends with drummer and bandleader Billy Adams, who became a close associate of Yates' for a number of years. Memphis led him to a loose association with Elvis Presley and he headed out to Hollywood in 1961 as part of the King's entourage, working as a bodyguard. This was irregular work and Yates often came back to Memphis to gig, often working with Adams, usually at the south Memphis club Hernando's Hide-A-Way. This Yates-Adams band also featured a number of players who became fixtures around Memphis, playing regular gigs and sessions for a variety of labels. Soon, Yates and Adams were both cutting sessions at Hi Studios that wound up being released either on the upstart Home of the Blues or its sister imprint 1st Records in 1961. "All I Need Is You"/"Mojo" was Yates first release, which didn't do much, then the label folded so the next Yates singles culled from Home of the Blues sessions -- "Fool Around with Love" and "Blues Like Midnight" -- were licensed to King Records in 1962...see more