Tommy Ridgley
Thomas Herman Ridgley (October 30, 1925 – August 11, 1999) was an American R&B singer, pianist, songwriter and bandleader in New Orleans, Louisiana. In a musical career lasting half a century Ridgley was a stalwart of the New Orleans rhythm and blues scene. Although he never had a national hit, unlike several of his contemporaries, he made numerous, popular recordings that sold mainly in New Orleans and Louisiana beginning in 1949 with a final release in 1995. His voice was variously described as similar to Roy Brown and Bull Moose Jackson and thus able to adapt to a variety of styles: blues, jump blues, rhythm and blues and soul. In the late 1950s, he became bandleader of The Untouchables with whom he held residencies at important night venues often backing visiting artists. His recording career consisted of over forty singles and three albums. Most of his recordings have been anthologised on compilations in vinyl and CDs. |
Birth and Death Data: Born New Orleans (largest city of the state of Louisiana, United States), Died August 11, 1999 (New Orleans (largest city of the state of Louisiana, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1949 - 1957
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | 1120 | 10-in. | 08/18/1953 | Ooh lawdy my baby | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist, songwriter | ||
| Atlantic | 1121 | 10-in. | 08/18/1953 | I'm gonna cross that river | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist | ||
| Atlantic | 1200 | 10-in. | 12/1/1953 | Wish i had never | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist | ||
| Atlantic | 1308 | 10-in. | 8/8/1954 | Jam up | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist, songwriter | ||
| Herald | H-1339 | 10-in. | approximately 1957 | When I meet my girl | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist, songwriter | ||
| Herald | H-1340 | 10-in. | approximately 1957 | What'cha gonna do | Tommy Ridgley | songwriter, vocalist | ||
| Imperial | IM-112 | 10-in. | 11/29/1949 | Boogie woogie mama | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist, songwriter | ||
| Imperial | IM-113 | 10-in. | 11/29/1949 | Shrewsbury blues | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist, songwriter | ||
| Imperial | IM-114 | 10-in. | 11/29/1949 | Early dawn boogie | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist, songwriter | ||
| Imperial | IM-115 | 10-in. | 11/29/1949 | Lonely man blues | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist, songwriter | ||
| Imperial | IM-455 | 10-in. | June, 1952 | Lavinia | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist, songwriter | ||
| Imperial | IM-456 | 10-in. | June, 1952 | I live my life | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist, songwriter | ||
| Imperial | IM-457 | 10-in. | June, 1952 | Good times | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist, songwriter | ||
| Imperial | IM-458 | 10-in. | June, 1952 | A day is coming | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist, songwriter | ||
| Imperial | IM-473 | 10-in. | September, 1952 | Looped | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist | ||
| Imperial | IM-474 | 10-in. | September, 1952 | Junie Mae | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist, songwriter | ||
| Decca | 81001 | 5/10/1951 | Tra-la-la | Dave Bartholomew Orchestra | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 81099 | 5/29/1951 | Tra-la-la | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 81100 | 5/29/1951 | Anything but love | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 81101 | 5/29/1951 | Once in a lifetime | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 81102 | 5/29/1951 | Come home baby | Tommy Ridgley | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Ridgley, Tommy," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/340131.
Ridgley, Tommy. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/340131.
"Ridgley, Tommy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Ridgley, Tommy, 1925-1999 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no96044302
Wikidata: Tommy Ridgley - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q3531347
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/59279240
MusicBrainz: Tommy Ridgley - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/30125a4a-cfaa-445b-9798-4d09e2761c06
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