Arthur Gunter

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Arthur Gunter (born May 23, 1926 in Nashville, Tennessee; died March 16, 1976 in Port Huron, Michigan) was an American blues guitar musician. He was best known for his song "Baby Let's Play House", which was later a hit single for Elvis Presley.

Gunter was a musician from an early age; as a child, he was in a gospel group with his brothers and cousins called the Gunter Brothers Quartet. In the early 1950s he played in various blues groups around Nashville, and began recording for Excello Records in 1954.

In November 1954, Gunter recorded "Baby Let's Play House" for Excello (2047), [1] which became a local hit. It became nationally known later that year when Elvis Presley recorded a version for Sun Records. "Elvis got that number and made it famous. But I didn't get a chance to shake his hand," Gunter would later say. His first royalty check, received that same year, was for $6500.

He continued to record for Excello until 1961. His regular band broke up in 1966 and he moved to Pontiac, Michigan, performing only occasionally thereafter.

He died of pneumonia in 1976 at his home in Port Huron.

[edit] Sources

• Reif, Fred (1995). Arthur Gunter. Baby Let's Play House: the Best of Arthur Gunter (pp. 3–6) [CD liner notes]. Los Angeles: Excello Records.