H.B. Barnum

H. B. Barnum (born Hidle Brown Barnum, 15 July 1936, Houston, Texas) is an American pianist, arranger, record producer, songwriter, and former child actor. After winning a nationwide talent contest at the age of four and starring in the motion picture Valley of the Sun Marches On, he continued his acting career on TV in the Amos 'n Andy Shows, the Jack Benny Show, and others, making his first solo recording as Pee Wee Barnum in 1950. He then joined doo-wop groups The Dootones and, in 1956, The Robins (later The Coasters), for whom he played piano. In 1960, under the pseudonym "Dudley" he recorded the radio hit "El Pizza," a parody of Marty Robbins' "El Paso". In 1961 he had the only hit under his own name, the instrumental "Lost Love", and in the same year recorded the first version of "Nut Rocker", credited to Jack B. Nimble and the Quicks. He also recorded three albums as a singer-pianist during the 1960s. Since that time he has become most widely known as an arranger, for a very wide range of performers including Lou Rawls, Count Basie, O.C. Smith, Frank Sinatra, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, Gladys Knight, Al Wilson, and the Pump Girls. Barnum also produced, along with Johnnie Walls of JWP Productions which distributed the record, the 1985 hip-hop comedy song "Rappin' Duke." In addition, he also produced "The Fish Song", a rare song by The New Creation, released on Salaam Records.