Heebie Jeebies (composition)

Common card · No. 279058

"Heebie Jeebies" is a composition written by Boyd Atkins which achieved fame when it was recorded and released by Louis Armstrong in 1926. Armstrong also performed "Heebie Jeebies" as a number at the Vendome Theatre. The recording on Okeh Records by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five includes a famous example of scat singing by Armstrong. After the success of the recording, an accompanying dance was choreographed and advertised by Okeh. A popular legend (apparently originating from a 1930s claim by Richard M. Jones) says that Armstrong dropped his lyric sheet while recording the song and for lack of words to sing, began to improvise his vocals and thereby created the technique of scat singing. This story, though popular, may be apocryphal. Although Armstrong did not invent scat singing, because it was already practiced by many musicians in New Orleans during the early twentieth century, Armstrong, Kid Ory, and Johnny St. Cyr confirm in their accounts that he did drop the sheet music during...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Boyd Atkins: composer Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five: performers Okeh Records: recording and publishing, Public domain