HIBBLER

Hibbler left the Ellington band in 1951 after a dispute over his wages.

He then recorded with bands including those of Johnny Hodges and Count Basie, and for labels including Mercury and Norgran, a subsidiary of Verve Records, on which he released the LP, Al Hibbler Favourites, in 1953.

In 1954 he released the more successful album, Al Hibbler Sings Duke Ellington, and in 1955, he started recording with Decca Records, with immediate success. His biggest hit was “Unchained Melody”, which reached #3 on the US pop chart, sold over one million copies. It was awarded a gold disc. Hibbler’s version reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming his only chart hit in the United Kingdom. Its success led to network appearances, including a live jazz club remote on NBC’s Monitor. Other hits were “He” (1955), “11th Hour Melody” and “Never Turn Back” (both in 1956). “After the Lights Go Down Low” (also in 1956) was his last top ten hit.

Hibbler became a civil rights activist, marching with protestors and getting arrested in 1959 in New Jersey and in 1963 in Alabama.

The notoriety of this activism discouraged major record labels from carrying his work, but Frank Sinatra supported him and signed him to a contract with his label, Reprise Records.

However, Hibbler made very few recordings after that, occasionally doing live appearances through the 1990s. In 1971, Hibbler sang two songs at Louis Armstrong’s funeral.

In 1972 he made an album, A Meeting of the Times, with another fiercely independent blind musician, Rahsaan Roland Kirk.