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.
Twenty Five Miles
Bill Doggett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uh huh huh huh huh huh yeah
It's twenty five miles from home
Girl, my feet are hurting mighty bad
Now I've been walking a three day, two lonely nights
You know that I'm mighty mad
But I got a woman waiting for me
That's gonna make this trip worthwhile
You see she's got the kind of lovin' and a kissing
A make a man go stone wild
So I got to keep on walkin'
I got to walk on, oh ho ho
I, I, I, I'm so tired
But I just can't lose my stride
I got fifteen miles to go now
And I can hear my baby calling my name
It's as if as though I'm standing at her front door
I can hear that doggone plain
Now I'll be so glad to see my baby
And hold her in my arms
Now when I kiss her lips
I turn a back over flip and I'll forget these feet of mine
I got to keep on walkin'
I got to walk on oh ho ho
I, I, I, I, I'm so tired but I just can't lose my stride
Walk on let me tell you ya'll I, I, I, I, I, I'm so tired
But I just can't lose my stride
Come on feet don't fail me now
I got ten more miles to go
I got nine, eight, seven, six, eight, six
I got a five more miles to go
Now over the hill just around the bend
Huh although my feet are tired I can't lose my stride
I got to get to my baby again
The song "Twenty Five Miles" by Bill Doggett is about a man who is walking to see his lover who lives 25 miles away. Although he is tired and his feet are hurting, he is determined to make the journey to see her. The lyrics describe his desperation to see her and the love that he feels for her. He talks about the kind of love and kissing she has that can "make a man go stone wild." He mentions that when he kisses her, he will forget about his tired feet and will be able to hold her in his arms. He keeps repeating that he is tired but cannot lose his stride, indicating that his love for her is stronger than his physical fatigue.
The lyrics of this song are a testament to the power of love and the lengths that people will go to see the one they love. It portrays the determination, desperation, and passion that one feels when they are truly in love. It also highlights the sacrifices people make to be with the one they love, even if it means walking 25 miles.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey hey uh huh huh huh huh oh
Expressing excitement and energy
Uh huh huh huh huh huh yeah
Reiterating excitement and energy
It's twenty five miles from home
The distance the singer has traveled away from home
Girl, my feet are hurting mighty bad
The singer's feet are in pain due to the long journey
Now I've been walking a three day, two lonely nights
The duration of the singer's journey
You know that I'm mighty mad
The singer is frustrated with the journey
But I got a woman waiting for me
The singer's motivation to continue is his love for his partner
That's gonna make this trip worthwhile
The love of his partner is worth the pain of the journey
You see she's got the kind of lovin' and a kissing
The singer's partner provides him with affection and intimacy
A make a man go stone wild
The singer's partner excites and arouses him
So I got to keep on walkin'
The singer must continue his journey to be with his partner
I got to walk on, oh ho ho
The singer must persevere despite his exhaustion
I, I, I, I'm so tired
The singer is physically fatigued from the journey
But I just can't lose my stride
The singer must maintain his momentum towards his partner
I got fifteen miles to go now
The distance the singer has left to travel
And I can hear my baby calling my name
The singer's partner is anxiously waiting for him to arrive
It's as if as though I'm standing at her front door
The singer's anticipation and excitement increases
I can hear that doggone plain
The singer can clearly hear his partner's voice calling him
Now I'll be so glad to see my baby
The singer is looking forward to reuniting with his partner
And hold her in my arms
The singer yearns for physical intimacy with his partner
Now when I kiss her lips
The singer is drawn to his partner's lips
I turn a back over flip and I'll forget these feet of mine
The power of his love for his partner eclipses the pain of his journey
Walk on let me tell you ya'll I, I, I, I, I, I'm so tired
The singer acknowledges his exhaustion, but will not give up
Come on feet don't fail me now
The singer urges his body to keep going
I got ten more miles to go
The remaining distance the singer must travel
I got nine, eight, seven, six, eight, six
The singer is counting down the miles left to travel
I got a five more miles to go
The singer is getting closer to his destination
Now over the hill just around the bend
The singer's destination is near
Huh although my feet are tired I can't lose my stride
The singer remains focused on his goal, despite the physical toll
I got to get to my baby again
The singer is determined to be with his partner
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BERT BERNS, BERT RUSSELL, EDWIN STARR, GERALD WEXLER, HARVEY FUQUA, JERRY WEXLER, JOHNNY BRISTOL, JOHNNY WILLIAM BRISTOL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
chris lomas
Yeah Nice One !
ALAIN DEWAELE
love this thank brico happy sunday