Lucius Antoine Tyson (7 March 1911 – September 1972),[1] who performed as Dr. Sausage or Doc Sausage, was an American singer, dancer, drummer and bandleader. He was active from the 1930s to the 1950s and is best known for his 1950 recording of "Rag Mop".
Career
He was born in Brunswick, Georgia, and moved to New York City in 1936.[2][3] By 1938, he was performing with his group, Dr. Sausage and His Five Pork Chops. Regarded as a novelty act,[4] the group included Al "Dr. Horse" Pittman.[5] His pianist Jimmy Harris was killed in a car crash that year,[6] but the following year the group performed as a "specialty" feature in a revue, Lew Leslie's Blackbirds of 1939, at the Hudson Theatre. Their act was influenced by performers such as Cab Calloway, and contained comedy, swing jazz, and vocal harmonies.[4] The group first recorded for Decca Records in 1940, on a version of "Wham (Re-bop-boom-bam)" featuring Gerry "The Wig" Wiggins on piano. However, neither it nor other tracks for Decca were commercially successful.[4]
Tyson did not record again until 1950, when his new group, Doc Sausage and His Mad Lads, recorded for the Regal label. As well as Doc Sausage on vocals and drums, the group comprised Earl Johnson (tenor saxophone), Charles Harris (piano), Charlie Jackson (guitar), and Jimmy Butts (bass).[7] The group recorded eight tracks, including a version of "Rag Mop" which reached number 4 in the BillboardR&B chart,[2] and its follow-up, "Sausage Rock".[8] The record company went out of business soon afterwards, and Tyson seems not to have recorded again.[4]
Tyson died in New York in 1972 at the age of 61.[1]
The Complete Recordings 1946–1949: Luke Jones & Doctor Sausage (67346 matrix): "Cuckoo Cuckoo Chicken Rhythm," DE 7776 (67347 matrix): "Wham" ("Re-Bop-Boom-Bam"), DE 7736 (67348 matrix): "Birthday Party," DE 7776 (67349 matrix): "Doctor Sausage's Blues," DE 7736
The Complete Recordings 1940–1953: Lem Johnson, Doc Sausage & Jo Jo Jackson (1119 matrix): "Door Mat Blues," RE 3283 (1120 matrix): "She Don't Want Me No More," RE 3248 (1121 matrix): "Please Don't Leave Me Now," RE 3248
(1122 matrix): "Poor Man's Blues" ("I'm A Poor Man") RE 3283 (1141 matrix): "Rag Mop," RE 3251 (1142 matrix): "You Got Me Cryin'," RE 3251 (1143 matrix): "I've Been a Bad Boy," RE 3256 (1144 matrix): "Sausage Rock," RE 3256
