"Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Mon Feb 10, 2003  6:20 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Leroy Kirkland

LEROY KIRKLAND

Born 10 February 1906, Jacksonville, Florida
Died 6 April 1988, Manhattan, New York City, New York

Arranger / bandleader / guitarist / songwriter.
Leroy Kirkland was an arranger whose career spanned the eras of
big band jazz, R&B, rock 'n' roll and soul. Kirkland played guitar in
southern jazz bands in the 1920s and during the '30s he worked as
arranger and songwriter for Erskine Hawkins. He joined Tommy and
Jimmy Dorsey in the '40s and later in that decade began arranging
music at Savoy Records in New York. He continued to arrange R&B
artists for OKeh Records, Mercury Records and other companies.
Among the many artists he worked with are: Screamin' Jay Hawkins
(who recorded his best work with him, "I Put A Spell On You, "Little
Demon","Yellow Coat", etc.), Big Maybelle (Kirkland co-wrote her
biggest hit, "Gabbin' Blues"), Nappy Brown and Wilbert Harrison (both
at Savoy), Hadda Brooks, Varetta Dillard, Big John Greer, the Five
Satins, Brook Benton and Ruth Brown.
In the rock and roll field, he was musical director for Bobby Shad's
labels, Time, Shad and Brent. During the 1960s, he managed Ruby
and the Romantics, who had a # 1 hit in 1963 with "Our Day Will Come"
on Kapp.