James "Sugar Boy" Crawford

New Orleans R&B artist (October 12, 1934 – September 15, 2012).

Starting out on trombone, he formed a band which local DJ Doctor Daddy-O named "The Chapaka Shawee" (Creole for "We Aren’t Raccoons"). Signed on by Chess Records president Leonard Chess, the group was re-named James "Sugar Boy" Crawford And His Cane Cutters.

Author of the classic "Iko Iko" (initially called "Jockomo") in 1954. Although his song became a standard, Crawford disappeared from public view, and in a 2002 interview, told how his career came to an abrupt halt in 1963 after a severe beating which incapacitated him for two years forcing him to leave the music business.

Crawford appeared on his grandson Davell Crawford's 1995 CD Let Them Talk. He has since made some stage appearances with Davell as well including the one at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (1996), and at the 7th annual Ponderosa Stomp in April, 2008, they both appear in HBO's series Treme in October 2012 (season 3 episode 4).

Not to be confused with James Brown's sideman James Crawford and with James Crawford who wrote "Hustlin Dan", often attributed to James "Sugar Boy" Crawford.

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