Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his mother, a church pianist, introduced him to music when he was 9 years old. By the time he was 15, he had joined a Philadelphia area combo, playing local theaters and clubs while attending high school.
He later sold his band to Lucky Millinder, and worked during the 1930s and early 1940s for both Millinder and arranger Jimmy Mundy. In 1942 he was hired as The Ink Spots' pianist and arranger.
In 1949, he replaced Wild Bill Davis in Louis Jordan's Tympany Five. It was there that he first achieved success playing the Hammond organ and he is also reputed to have written one of Jordan's biggest hits, "Saturday Night Fish Fry", for which Jordan claimed the writing credit.
In 1951, he organized his own trio and began recording for King Records. His best known recording is "Honky Tonk," a rhythm and blues hit of 1956 which sold four million copies, and which he co-wrote with Billy Butler. He won the Cash Box award for best rhythm and blues performer in 1957, 1958, and 1959. He also arranged for many bandleaders and performers, including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Lionel Hampton. He continued to play and arrange until he died of a heart attack in New York City.
As a jazz player Doggett started in swing music and later played soul jazz, a field in which rhythm and blues organists were highly sought after. His band included saxophonists Red Holloway, Clifford Scott, Percy France, David "Bubba" Brooks, Floyd "Candy" Johnson, guitarists Floyd Smith, Pete Mays, and singers Toni Williams and Betty Saint-Clair.
With his instrumental hit "Honky Tonk" in February 1956, Bill Doggett (born William Ballard Doggett) created one of rock's greatest instrumental tracks. Although it generated scores of offers to perform in rock & roll clubs throughout the United States, Doggett remained tied to the jazz and organ-based R&B that he had performed since the 1930s. Continuing to record for the Cincinnati-based King label until 1960, he went on to record for Warner Brothers, Columbia, ABC-Paramount and Sue. His last session came as a member and producer of an all-star jazz/R&B group, Bluesiana Hurricane in 1995.
With his instrumental hit “Honky Tonk” in February 1956, Bill Doggett (born William Ballard Doggett) created one of rock’s greatest instrumental tracks. Although it generated scores of offers to perform in rock & roll clubs throughout the United States, Doggett remained tied to the jazz and organ-based R&B that he had performed since the 1930s. Continuing to record for the Cincinnati-based King label until 1960, he went on to record for Warner Brothers, Columbia, ABC-Paramount and Sue. His last session came as a member and producer of an all-star jazz/R&B group, Bluesiana Hurricane in 1995.
Born on the north side of Philadelphia, Doggett struggled with poverty as a youngster. Although he initially dreamed of playing the trumpet, his family was unable to afford lessons. Persuaded by his mother (a church pianist), to try keyboards instead, he quickly mastered the instrument. Hailed as a child prodigy by his 13th birthday, he formed his first band, the Five Majors, at the age of 15.
Performing with the Jimmy Gorman Band, the pit orchestra at the Nixon Grand Theater, while still in high school, Doggett assumed leadership of the group in 1938. The experience was brief, however, as Doggett sold the orchestra to Lucky Millinder, with whom he continued to work off and on for the next four years. He made his recording debut on Millinder's tracks, "Little Old Lady From Baltimore" and "All Aboard" in 1939.
Although he formed a short-lived orchestra with Benny Goodman's arranger, Jimmy Mundy, in late 1939, Doggett continued to work primarily as a sideman. Playing piano and arranging for the Ink Spots from 1942 until 1944, he went on to arrange tunes for Count Basie's band and tour and/or record with Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Otis, Wynonie Harris, Ella Fitzgerald and Lionel Hampton. Replacing Wild Bill Davis in Louis Jordan's band, in 1947, he appeared on the influential tunes, "Saturday Night Fish Fry" and "Blue Light Boogie." He made his debut as an organist during June 1951 recording sessions with Ella Fitzgerald.
Debuting his own organ-led combo at New York nightclub, the Baby Grand, in June 1952, Doggett recorded more than a dozen singles before striking gold with "Honky Tonk" four years later.
A longtime resident of Long Island, New York, Doggett died on November 13, 1996, three days after suffering a heart attack.
Don
Bill Doggett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've hung around you just like a fool
Falling head and heels in love like a kid out of school.
My poor heart is in an awful state now
But it's too late now to call a halt
So if I become a nuisance it's all your fault!
Don't blame me for falling in love with you
I'm under your spell but how can I help it!
Don't' blame me!
Can't you see when you do the things you do!
If I can't conceal the thrill that I'm feeling,
Don't blame; me.
Ican't help it if that doggoned moon above
Makes me need someone like you to love!
Blame your kiss as sweet as a kiss can be
And blame all your charms that melt in my arms
But don't blame me.
I like every single thing about you
Without a doubt you are like a dream
In my mind I find a picture of us as a team
Ever since the hour of our meeting
I've been repeating a silly phrase
Hoping that you'll understand me one of these days.
Don't blame me for falling in love with you
I'm under your spell but how can I help it!
Don't' blame me!
Can't you see when you do the things you do!
If I can't conceal the thrill that I'm feeling,
Don't blame; me.
Ican't help it if that doggoned moon above
Makes me need someone like you to love!
Blame your kiss as sweet as a kiss can be
And blame all your charms that melt in my arms
But don't blame me.
The lyrics to Bill Doggett's song "Don" express the singer's deep and uncontrollable feelings of love towards someone who he has recently met. The singer acknowledges that his heart is in an "awful state," but he cannot help but fall "head and heels in love like a kid out of school." He even admits that if he becomes a nuisance, it is all the other person's fault. The chorus repeats the sentiment that the singer cannot help but be under the other person's spell and cannot conceal the thrill he feels when around them. He even blames the moon for making him need someone like the other person to love.
The second verse reinforces the idea that the singer is completely enamored with the other person, liking "every single thing about you." The singer recognizes that he has been repeating a silly phrase since the hour of meeting the other person but hopes that they will understand his feelings eventually. The chorus repeats the same message, highlighting the singer's inability to control his love for the other person.
Overall, the song expresses a powerful feeling of love and the helplessness of the singer in the face of these emotions. The lyrics suggest that the other person has power over the singer's heart, and he cannot do anything about it. The song captures the sentiment of being completely overwhelmed by love and understanding that the feelings are out of one's control.
Line by Line Meaning
Ever since the lucky night I found you
Since I first met you, I've considered myself lucky and have been enamored with you.
I've hung around you just like a fool
I've stayed close to you even if it made me look foolish.
Falling head and heels in love like a kid out of school.
I fell in love with you deeply and completely and feel like a kid again.
My poor heart is in an awful state now
My heart is hurting badly now due to my feelings for you.
But it's too late now to call a halt
Even though I know this isn't rational, I can't stop loving you.
So if I become a nuisance it's all your fault!
If I cause any trouble by loving you, it's your fault for being so irresistible.
Don't blame me for falling in love with you
It's not my fault that I fell in love with you.
I'm under your spell but how can I help it!
I'm completely under your control, and I can't resist your charms.
Can't you see when you do the things you do!
Your actions and behavior are what made me fall for you.
If I can't conceal the thrill that I'm feeling,
I can't hide how excited and happy I am when I'm with you.
Don't blame; me.
Don't hold me responsible for something that is out of my control.
I can't help it if that doggoned moon above
The moon (a metaphor for fate) made me fall in love with you.
Makes me need someone like you to love!
The moon made me crave love and made you the perfect person for me.
Blame your kiss as sweet as a kiss can be
Your kisses are so sweet and perfect that they made me fall in love with you.
And blame all your charms that melt in my arms
Your charms are what make me weak in the knees when you're in my arms.
But don't blame me.
Don't hold me accountable for something that is beyond my power and control.
I like every single thing about you
I adore every aspect of your personality and character.
Without a doubt you are like a dream
You are everything that I've ever dreamed of in a lover.
In my mind, I find a picture of us as a team
I visualize us as a perfect team, and I believe that we are meant to be together.
Ever since the hour of our meeting
From the moment we met, I've been fixated on you.
I've been repeating a silly phrase
I keep saying and doing silly things in the hopes of impressing you and making you like me.
Hoping that you'll understand me one of these days.
I hope that someday you'll realize how much I care for you and feel the same way about me.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOROTHY FIELDS, JIMMY MC HUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind