BIOGRAPHY AND DISCOGRAPHY

 

A minor figure on the late 1940’s New Orleans rock scene who is most notable for reputedly being married briefly to female star Chubby Newsom at the time which surely had something to do with his being signed to the same label.

Gorman is another of rock’s early mystery men, likely a club performer who parlayed DeLuxe Records interest in the New Orleans scene into a short-lived contract. Newsom had released her first record just a month before Gorman’s debut on wax and hers rapidly became a huge hit in The Crescent City and soon after charted nationally in Billboard magazine, the first female rock artist to do so. After that it was a pretty sure bet that Gorman was going to remain her formidable shadow as an artist.

Gorman was a good looking guy, which stands to reason considering his wife was a knockout, but as for his talents beyond that Gorman was decidedly less skilled… at least at times. Possessing a deep voice with a reportedly shaky grasp on staying in key and utilizing a semi-spoken singing style that had definite limitations without the right material he was aided immeasurably by working with bandleader Paul Gayten who played on and produced his records.

Considering these records were actually successful though, charting regionally in the south in Cash Box magazine, one even topping the Atlanta charts, it’s a mystery why he was not given more releases especially since DeLuxe had four unissued sides in the can, or why no other label picked him up following King Records jettisoning the entire roster of artists outside of Roy Brown and Dave Bartholomew when they took over DeLuxe in the months to come. He served time in jail in 1950 for forging checks and so that could be why he found no suitors from other labels but considering serving time for murder didn’t stop companies from signing Leadbelly it’s hard to believe something as simple as check fraud would prevent every record label from pursuing hits if he were able to get them each time out.

But apparently Newsom tired of him around this time as well and the couple broke up which may explain the true nature of his original opportunities and the subsequent lack of additional chances once he was single again. If a record company wasn’t going to get the talented and gorgeous Newsom in the bargain it’s probably not surprising they’d all pass on Gorman when he became available.

As befitting someone whose presence on the scene lasted a mere three months Gorman’s ultimate fate following his brief tenure as a recording artist are unknown but his originally unissued sides for DeLuxe, including an answer record to one of his then-wife’s releases, were eventually put out on CD in 2015. Though limited in what he could deliver he managed to deliver those well and yet he’s been largely written off as simply someone who was in the right place at the right time… with the right spouse.
 
 
EDDIE GORMAN DISCOGRAPHY (Records Reviewed To Date On Spontaneous Lunacy):

DON’T WORRY ‘BOUT NOTHIN’
(DeLuxe 3200; December, 1948)
An interesting first effort which features Gorman’s trademarked half-spoken/half-singing technique which is moderately agreeable, but the song doesn’t have enough quality components to get it past just halfway decent. (4)

TELEPHONE BLUES
(DeLuxe 3209; February, 1949)
A shockingly great record where every aspect comes off with perfect precision, from a story that utilizes Gorman’s unique style to a streamlined arrangement that keeps it moving and a fantastic female vocal group backing that is far ahead of its time all adding up to an unexpected revelation. (9)

BEEF BALL BABY
(DeLuxe 3209; February, 1949)
A dismally unfunny record in both the songwriting itself and Gorman’s poor – albeit limited – choices for how to deliver it, which not even Paul Gayten’s solid backing can salvage. An unfortunate epitaph to Gorman’s otherwise good, but all too brief, career. (2)