African-American songwriter who co-founded (and became the owner of) Vee-Jay Records in the early 1950s and also wrote songs for Jimmy Reed and John Lee Hooker.
He founded Vivian's Record Shop with his future wife Vivian in 1950 before they started their own record company Vee-Jay Records three years later.
He worked as a songwriter with many different artists including The Spaniels and Bill Haley.
He met his wife Vivian Carter in 1944.
He worked as a songwriter with John Mayall's group.