Jimmy Preston
James Alfred Smith Preston (August 18, 1913 – December 17, 1984) was an American R&B bandleader, alto saxophonist, drummer and singer who made an important contribution to early rock and roll.
Also recorded as James Alfred Smith Preston
Jimmy Preston
- Born
- 1913 · Chester.
- Died
- 1984 · Philadelphia.
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- musician
- Fields
- rhythm and blues
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
James Alfred Smith Preston (August 18, 1913 – December 17, 1984) was an American R&B bandleader, alto saxophonist, drummer and singer who made an important contribution to early rock and roll.
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Jimmy Preston (1913–1984) was an American musician. Born in Chester, the musician died in Philadelphia. Genres include rhythm and blues.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
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wikidata · Q784875 · wikipedia · Jimmy Preston
In this article
Career
Career
Preston was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, and formed his own group in 1945. His first R&B top ten hit was with "Hucklebuck Daddy" in 1949, recorded for Philadelphia's Gotham Records. His main claim to fame was to record, as Jimmy Preston and His Prestonians, the original version of "Rock the Joint" for Gotham in 1949. The sax breaks on "Rock the Joint" were the work of tenor player Danny Turner (1920–1995). "Rock the Joint" was re-recorded by Jimmy Cavallo in 1951, and Bill Haley and the Saddlemen in 1952. In 1950, tenor saxophone player Benny Golson and pianist Billy Gaines were added to his new line-up and recorded songs like "Hay Ride" and "Early Morning Blues". Preston moved to Derby Records and had a final R&B hit with a cover of Louis Prima’s "Oh Babe". Preston gave up playing music in 1952, but as Reverend Dr. James S. Preston, he founded the Victory Baptist Church in 1962. He died in Philadelphia in 1984, aged 71.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1984
Jimmy Preston died at Philadelphia.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Chester.
Birth place
Philadelphia.
Death place
Discography
Jimmy Preston & His Prestonians on Gotham Records... • 166 Let Me Call You Sweetheart Messin' With Preston (11/1948) • 170 Numbers Blues Chop Suey, Louie (1/1949) • 175 Hucklebuck Daddy Sugar Baby (3/1949) • 180 Hold Me, Baby Home Cookin' (5/1949) • 188 Rock The Joint Drinking Woman (8/1949) • 204 The Bells of St. Mary's Foolish Me (11/1949) • 206 Going Away Credit Blues (12/1949) • 216 They Call Me The Champ Swingin' In The Groove (1950) • 228 Hay Ride Early Morning Blues (1950) • 240 Estellina Bim Bam Do The Bump (1950) • 246 Let's Hang Out Tonight Potato Salad (1950) Jimmy Preston With The Jimmy Preston Orchestra on Derby Records... • 748 Oh Babe! Stop That Baby (10/1950) both sides with Burnetta Evans-vocal • 751 Rock With It Baby My Baby Done Left Me (1950) • 755 Roll, Roll, Roll Front Door Blues (1951)
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Jimmy Preston”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q784875: Jimmy Preston
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Eagle, Bob. Blues – A Regional Experience. Praeger Publishers. 333–334. 2013. 978-0313344237.
- 2.Bogdanov, Vladimir. All Music Guide to the Blues. Hal Leonard. 450. 2003.
- 3.J C Marion, "Jimmy Preston and His Prestonians" . Retrieved September 29, 2016
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reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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