Eddie Floyd

Born in Alabama but raised in Detroit, Eddie Floyd grew up in the music business. His uncle owned both Lupine Records and Flick Records, two pioneering R&B labels in Detroit. Floyd was one of the founders of the vocal group The Falcons, in 1955. After some personnel changes, they had a hit with "You're So Fine" in 1959. More personnel changes resulted in the group being fronted by Wilson Pickett, and they had a hit record with "I Found a Love" (on that record they were backed by a group called the Primettes, who would eventually wind up at producer Berry Gordy's Motown Records renamed The Supremes). The Falcons broke up in 1963, and Floyd went to work for Stax Records in Memphis as a songwriter and producer. It was there he wrote (with Steve Cropper) and recorded his biggest hit, "Knock On Wood", a song that is now considered a standard (and was originally intended to be recorded by Otis Redding). Floyd continued to work as both a performer and a songwriter and penned one of Pickett's biggest hits, "634-5789" (which he and Pickett performed in Blues Brothers 2000 (1998). He stayed at Stax Records until that label folded in 1975. Floyd still tours today, often teaming up with such former Stax colleagues as Cropper and Booker T. Jones.