He was born with the name Eskew Reeder, Jr. Being a self taught pianist he was introduced to Gospel music in his home towm of Macon, Georgia as a child. Later he became one of the original Rock & Rollers and changed his name to Esquerita. Little Richard acknowledges that some of his style was learned from this legendary musician. The later years of his life were not pleasant and he is burried in a paupers grave in New York.∼Eskew Reeder Jr. was born on 20 Nov 1938, according to the Social Security Death Index and the U.S., Index to Public Records. (Other sources say his birth year was 1935.) He was a son of Eskew Reeder Sr. and Othie Reeder.
He died in Oct 1986 in New York. Some sources say Mr. Reeder was buried on Hart Island, the public cemetery for New York City. But a search of the Hart Island database came up with no records for Eskew Reeder. http://a073-hartisland-web.nyc.gov/hartisland/pages/search/search.jsf
Eskew Jr. was a singer, piano player, and performer. His stage names included S.Q. or Stephen Quincy Reeder, Esquerita, Esperita, S.Q. Reeder, Estrelita, Escorita, The Magnificent Malochi and The Fabulash. A list of his recordings is included in "The Magnificent Malochi: The Esquerita Story" by Pierre Monnery with Jay Halsey. http://www.bluesandrhythm.co.uk/documents/BR270-Esquerita.pdf
SCHOOL DAYS
"He went to Sterling High School [in Greenville, S.C.] and played piano in E.W. Watson's Tabernacle Baptist Church. [Reeder] was 6' 2" tall, and openly gay - during the Eisenhower 1950's - and wore a monster of a huge pompadour. Reeder cut his high school education short, and moved from playing locally with band teacher Bill Dover to performing as piano player for The Heavenly Echos, a gospel outfit based in New York. Following the break up of that group, Eskew joined Little Sister Rosa, a faith healer who's specialty was selling 'blessed' bread, in carrying her message throughout the south." (Greenville, SC and The Legend of Esquerita, Michael B. Smith, Jun 14, 2009, http://swampland.com/posts/view/title:greenville_sc_and_the_legend_of_esquerita)
THE WOOO!, THE PIANO AND THE POMPADOUR
There are similarities between the performance styles and hairstyles of Esquerita and Richard "Little Richard" Penniman (Find a Grave 209903031). It was a case of collaboration and common influences, like singer Billy "The Prince of the Blues" Wright (Find a Grave 198604048) and black gospel singers who punctuated their singing with a falsetto WOOO!, rather than imitation by either man.
Little Richard talked about meeting Esquerita when they were young. Richard was hanging out at the restaurant in the Macon, Ga., bus station and Esquerita got off a bus. "So Esquerita and me went to my house and he got on the piano and he played 'One Mint Julep.' It sounded so pretty. The bass was fantastic. He had the biggest hands of anybody I'd ever seen. His hands was about the size of two of my hands put together. It sounded great…He was one of the greatest pianists and that's including Jerry Lee Lewis, Stevie Wonder, or anybody I've ever heard. I learned a whole lot about phrasing from him. He really taught me a lot." ("The Life and Times of Little Richard" by Charles White, Updated edition, 1994, Da Capo Press, N.Y., Page 29-30.)
Before the 1960s "natural hair" movement, many black men had their hair processed. Singer and jazz pianist Nat "King" Cole's hair was "compressed and sculpted." But Little Richard (and Esquerita and Billy Wright) and "his influencers wore their hair high in a flamboyant pompadour style…They did not merely wear it; they pushed it to new literal and figurative heights." (Rocking the Closet: How Little Richard, Johnnie Ray, Liberace, and Johnny Mathis Queered Pop Music," by Vincent L. Stephens, 2019, University of Illinois Press, Page 81.)
ESKEW'S FAMILY
The 1969 obituary for his mother, Othie Reeder of Greenville, S.C., (Find A Grave 219734715) lists son Eskew Reeder Jr. of Los Angeles and daughter Shirley Whitherspoon (Witherspoon?) of Washington, D.C., among her survivors. A biography of Eskew ("The Magnificent Malochi") says he had a sister Shirley. The obituary for Mrs. Reeder doesn't have her birth name or the names of her parents. However, Othie and sister Eliza Butler are in the January 1965 obituary of Marie Jones of Greenwood, S.C., and, as stepdaughters, the February 1965 obit of Will Jones of Greenwood.
The World War II draft registration card of Eskew Reeder (Eskew Sr.), 33, born on 25 Mar 1907 in Greenwood County, S.C., has Othie Reeder listed as his wife.
So we are on solid ground regarding Eskew's mother. Beyond that, it is a bit of a mystery.
There is a 1928 South Carolina marriage record issued in Greenwood County for S.Q. Reeder, 20, and Elizabeth Hazzard, 18. That Eskew Reeder's February 1989 obituary lists his wife Elizabeth and daughters Iona and Lulu.
He died in Oct 1986 in New York. Some sources say Mr. Reeder was buried on Hart Island, the public cemetery for New York City. But a search of the Hart Island database came up with no records for Eskew Reeder. http://a073-hartisland-web.nyc.gov/hartisland/pages/search/search.jsf
Eskew Jr. was a singer, piano player, and performer. His stage names included S.Q. or Stephen Quincy Reeder, Esquerita, Esperita, S.Q. Reeder, Estrelita, Escorita, The Magnificent Malochi and The Fabulash. A list of his recordings is included in "The Magnificent Malochi: The Esquerita Story" by Pierre Monnery with Jay Halsey. http://www.bluesandrhythm.co.uk/documents/BR270-Esquerita.pdf
SCHOOL DAYS
"He went to Sterling High School [in Greenville, S.C.] and played piano in E.W. Watson's Tabernacle Baptist Church. [Reeder] was 6' 2" tall, and openly gay - during the Eisenhower 1950's - and wore a monster of a huge pompadour. Reeder cut his high school education short, and moved from playing locally with band teacher Bill Dover to performing as piano player for The Heavenly Echos, a gospel outfit based in New York. Following the break up of that group, Eskew joined Little Sister Rosa, a faith healer who's specialty was selling 'blessed' bread, in carrying her message throughout the south." (Greenville, SC and The Legend of Esquerita, Michael B. Smith, Jun 14, 2009, http://swampland.com/posts/view/title:greenville_sc_and_the_legend_of_esquerita)
THE WOOO!, THE PIANO AND THE POMPADOUR
There are similarities between the performance styles and hairstyles of Esquerita and Richard "Little Richard" Penniman (Find a Grave 209903031). It was a case of collaboration and common influences, like singer Billy "The Prince of the Blues" Wright (Find a Grave 198604048) and black gospel singers who punctuated their singing with a falsetto WOOO!, rather than imitation by either man.
Little Richard talked about meeting Esquerita when they were young. Richard was hanging out at the restaurant in the Macon, Ga., bus station and Esquerita got off a bus. "So Esquerita and me went to my house and he got on the piano and he played 'One Mint Julep.' It sounded so pretty. The bass was fantastic. He had the biggest hands of anybody I'd ever seen. His hands was about the size of two of my hands put together. It sounded great…He was one of the greatest pianists and that's including Jerry Lee Lewis, Stevie Wonder, or anybody I've ever heard. I learned a whole lot about phrasing from him. He really taught me a lot." ("The Life and Times of Little Richard" by Charles White, Updated edition, 1994, Da Capo Press, N.Y., Page 29-30.)
Before the 1960s "natural hair" movement, many black men had their hair processed. Singer and jazz pianist Nat "King" Cole's hair was "compressed and sculpted." But Little Richard (and Esquerita and Billy Wright) and "his influencers wore their hair high in a flamboyant pompadour style…They did not merely wear it; they pushed it to new literal and figurative heights." (Rocking the Closet: How Little Richard, Johnnie Ray, Liberace, and Johnny Mathis Queered Pop Music," by Vincent L. Stephens, 2019, University of Illinois Press, Page 81.)
ESKEW'S FAMILY
The 1969 obituary for his mother, Othie Reeder of Greenville, S.C., (Find A Grave 219734715) lists son Eskew Reeder Jr. of Los Angeles and daughter Shirley Whitherspoon (Witherspoon?) of Washington, D.C., among her survivors. A biography of Eskew ("The Magnificent Malochi") says he had a sister Shirley. The obituary for Mrs. Reeder doesn't have her birth name or the names of her parents. However, Othie and sister Eliza Butler are in the January 1965 obituary of Marie Jones of Greenwood, S.C., and, as stepdaughters, the February 1965 obit of Will Jones of Greenwood.
The World War II draft registration card of Eskew Reeder (Eskew Sr.), 33, born on 25 Mar 1907 in Greenwood County, S.C., has Othie Reeder listed as his wife.
So we are on solid ground regarding Eskew's mother. Beyond that, it is a bit of a mystery.
There is a 1928 South Carolina marriage record issued in Greenwood County for S.Q. Reeder, 20, and Elizabeth Hazzard, 18. That Eskew Reeder's February 1989 obituary lists his wife Elizabeth and daughters Iona and Lulu.
He was born with the name Eskew Reeder, Jr. Being a self taught pianist he was introduced to Gospel music in his home towm of Macon, Georgia as a child. Later he became one of the original Rock & Rollers and changed his name to Esquerita. Little Richard acknowledges that some of his style was learned from this legendary musician. The later years of his life were not pleasant and he is burried in a paupers grave in New York.∼Eskew Reeder Jr. was born on 20 Nov 1938, according to the Social Security Death Index and the U.S., Index to Public Records. (Other sources say his birth year was 1935.) He was a son of Eskew Reeder Sr. and Othie Reeder.
He died in Oct 1986 in New York. Some sources say Mr. Reeder was buried on Hart Island, the public cemetery for New York City. But a search of the Hart Island database came up with no records for Eskew Reeder. http://a073-hartisland-web.nyc.gov/hartisland/pages/search/search.jsf
Eskew Jr. was a singer, piano player, and performer. His stage names included S.Q. or Stephen Quincy Reeder, Esquerita, Esperita, S.Q. Reeder, Estrelita, Escorita, The Magnificent Malochi and The Fabulash. A list of his recordings is included in "The Magnificent Malochi: The Esquerita Story" by Pierre Monnery with Jay Halsey. http://www.bluesandrhythm.co.uk/documents/BR270-Esquerita.pdf
SCHOOL DAYS
"He went to Sterling High School [in Greenville, S.C.] and played piano in E.W. Watson's Tabernacle Baptist Church. [Reeder] was 6' 2" tall, and openly gay - during the Eisenhower 1950's - and wore a monster of a huge pompadour. Reeder cut his high school education short, and moved from playing locally with band teacher Bill Dover to performing as piano player for The Heavenly Echos, a gospel outfit based in New York. Following the break up of that group, Eskew joined Little Sister Rosa, a faith healer who's specialty was selling 'blessed' bread, in carrying her message throughout the south." (Greenville, SC and The Legend of Esquerita, Michael B. Smith, Jun 14, 2009, http://swampland.com/posts/view/title:greenville_sc_and_the_legend_of_esquerita)
THE WOOO!, THE PIANO AND THE POMPADOUR
There are similarities between the performance styles and hairstyles of Esquerita and Richard "Little Richard" Penniman (Find a Grave 209903031). It was a case of collaboration and common influences, like singer Billy "The Prince of the Blues" Wright (Find a Grave 198604048) and black gospel singers who punctuated their singing with a falsetto WOOO!, rather than imitation by either man.
Little Richard talked about meeting Esquerita when they were young. Richard was hanging out at the restaurant in the Macon, Ga., bus station and Esquerita got off a bus. "So Esquerita and me went to my house and he got on the piano and he played 'One Mint Julep.' It sounded so pretty. The bass was fantastic. He had the biggest hands of anybody I'd ever seen. His hands was about the size of two of my hands put together. It sounded great…He was one of the greatest pianists and that's including Jerry Lee Lewis, Stevie Wonder, or anybody I've ever heard. I learned a whole lot about phrasing from him. He really taught me a lot." ("The Life and Times of Little Richard" by Charles White, Updated edition, 1994, Da Capo Press, N.Y., Page 29-30.)
Before the 1960s "natural hair" movement, many black men had their hair processed. Singer and jazz pianist Nat "King" Cole's hair was "compressed and sculpted." But Little Richard (and Esquerita and Billy Wright) and "his influencers wore their hair high in a flamboyant pompadour style…They did not merely wear it; they pushed it to new literal and figurative heights." (Rocking the Closet: How Little Richard, Johnnie Ray, Liberace, and Johnny Mathis Queered Pop Music," by Vincent L. Stephens, 2019, University of Illinois Press, Page 81.)
ESKEW'S FAMILY
The 1969 obituary for his mother, Othie Reeder of Greenville, S.C., (Find A Grave 219734715) lists son Eskew Reeder Jr. of Los Angeles and daughter Shirley Whitherspoon (Witherspoon?) of Washington, D.C., among her survivors. A biography of Eskew ("The Magnificent Malochi") says he had a sister Shirley. The obituary for Mrs. Reeder doesn't have her birth name or the names of her parents. However, Othie and sister Eliza Butler are in the January 1965 obituary of Marie Jones of Greenwood, S.C., and, as stepdaughters, the February 1965 obit of Will Jones of Greenwood.
The World War II draft registration card of Eskew Reeder (Eskew Sr.), 33, born on 25 Mar 1907 in Greenwood County, S.C., has Othie Reeder listed as his wife.
So we are on solid ground regarding Eskew's mother. Beyond that, it is a bit of a mystery.
There is a 1928 South Carolina marriage record issued in Greenwood County for S.Q. Reeder, 20, and Elizabeth Hazzard, 18. That Eskew Reeder's February 1989 obituary lists his wife Elizabeth and daughters Iona and Lulu.
He died in Oct 1986 in New York. Some sources say Mr. Reeder was buried on Hart Island, the public cemetery for New York City. But a search of the Hart Island database came up with no records for Eskew Reeder. http://a073-hartisland-web.nyc.gov/hartisland/pages/search/search.jsf
Eskew Jr. was a singer, piano player, and performer. His stage names included S.Q. or Stephen Quincy Reeder, Esquerita, Esperita, S.Q. Reeder, Estrelita, Escorita, The Magnificent Malochi and The Fabulash. A list of his recordings is included in "The Magnificent Malochi: The Esquerita Story" by Pierre Monnery with Jay Halsey. http://www.bluesandrhythm.co.uk/documents/BR270-Esquerita.pdf
SCHOOL DAYS
"He went to Sterling High School [in Greenville, S.C.] and played piano in E.W. Watson's Tabernacle Baptist Church. [Reeder] was 6' 2" tall, and openly gay - during the Eisenhower 1950's - and wore a monster of a huge pompadour. Reeder cut his high school education short, and moved from playing locally with band teacher Bill Dover to performing as piano player for The Heavenly Echos, a gospel outfit based in New York. Following the break up of that group, Eskew joined Little Sister Rosa, a faith healer who's specialty was selling 'blessed' bread, in carrying her message throughout the south." (Greenville, SC and The Legend of Esquerita, Michael B. Smith, Jun 14, 2009, http://swampland.com/posts/view/title:greenville_sc_and_the_legend_of_esquerita)
THE WOOO!, THE PIANO AND THE POMPADOUR
There are similarities between the performance styles and hairstyles of Esquerita and Richard "Little Richard" Penniman (Find a Grave 209903031). It was a case of collaboration and common influences, like singer Billy "The Prince of the Blues" Wright (Find a Grave 198604048) and black gospel singers who punctuated their singing with a falsetto WOOO!, rather than imitation by either man.
Little Richard talked about meeting Esquerita when they were young. Richard was hanging out at the restaurant in the Macon, Ga., bus station and Esquerita got off a bus. "So Esquerita and me went to my house and he got on the piano and he played 'One Mint Julep.' It sounded so pretty. The bass was fantastic. He had the biggest hands of anybody I'd ever seen. His hands was about the size of two of my hands put together. It sounded great…He was one of the greatest pianists and that's including Jerry Lee Lewis, Stevie Wonder, or anybody I've ever heard. I learned a whole lot about phrasing from him. He really taught me a lot." ("The Life and Times of Little Richard" by Charles White, Updated edition, 1994, Da Capo Press, N.Y., Page 29-30.)
Before the 1960s "natural hair" movement, many black men had their hair processed. Singer and jazz pianist Nat "King" Cole's hair was "compressed and sculpted." But Little Richard (and Esquerita and Billy Wright) and "his influencers wore their hair high in a flamboyant pompadour style…They did not merely wear it; they pushed it to new literal and figurative heights." (Rocking the Closet: How Little Richard, Johnnie Ray, Liberace, and Johnny Mathis Queered Pop Music," by Vincent L. Stephens, 2019, University of Illinois Press, Page 81.)
ESKEW'S FAMILY
The 1969 obituary for his mother, Othie Reeder of Greenville, S.C., (Find A Grave 219734715) lists son Eskew Reeder Jr. of Los Angeles and daughter Shirley Whitherspoon (Witherspoon?) of Washington, D.C., among her survivors. A biography of Eskew ("The Magnificent Malochi") says he had a sister Shirley. The obituary for Mrs. Reeder doesn't have her birth name or the names of her parents. However, Othie and sister Eliza Butler are in the January 1965 obituary of Marie Jones of Greenwood, S.C., and, as stepdaughters, the February 1965 obit of Will Jones of Greenwood.
The World War II draft registration card of Eskew Reeder (Eskew Sr.), 33, born on 25 Mar 1907 in Greenwood County, S.C., has Othie Reeder listed as his wife.
So we are on solid ground regarding Eskew's mother. Beyond that, it is a bit of a mystery.
There is a 1928 South Carolina marriage record issued in Greenwood County for S.Q. Reeder, 20, and Elizabeth Hazzard, 18. That Eskew Reeder's February 1989 obituary lists his wife Elizabeth and daughters Iona and Lulu.
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