Speckled Red
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Speckled Red, born Rufus Perryman in Monroe, Louisiana, was an American boogie woogie piano player and singer most noted for his recordings of "The Dirty Dozens", legendary exchanges of insults and vulgar remarks that have long been a part of African-American folklore.
- I want all you women to fall in line
- And shake yo shimmy like i'm shakin' mine
- You shake yo shimmy and you shake it fast
- If you can't shake the shimmy, shake yo' yes yes yes
- You a dirty mistreater, a robber and a cheater
- Stick you in a dozens and you poppa aint yo cousin
- And yo mama do the lordylord
Although the lyrics were sung rather than spoken, with its elaborate word play and earthy subject matter, "The Dirty Dozens" is considered an ancestor to rap music.
Speckled Red was the older brother of Piano Red. Both men were albinos. The brothers were separated by almost a generation and never recorded together. Speckled Red played a smooth boogie woogie style, while Piano Red played a simpler, more intense, rock and roll style. Both recorded versions of "The Right String (But the Wrong Yo-Yo)".
