Artist
Lee Dorsey
Lee Dorsey is a soul artist from New Orleans, US formed in 1924. 49 releases are catalogued on Riffiter.
Soul · New Orleans, US · Best soul albums
- 3.0 /5
- 1 rating
- 49
- Releases
- 1961–2026
- Active years
- 1924
- Formed
Discography
29
Most popular
The New Lee Dorsey
1966 · 12 tracks
Ride Your Pony
2008
Yes We Can ...And Then Some
2017
Ya! Ya!
1961
The EP Collection...Plus
-
Lovely Evening
2025
Essential Classics, Vol. 604: Lee Dorsey
2024
New Orleans Sessions
2024
Yum Yum
2021
Everything I Do Gohn' Be Funky
2021
The Kid Chocolate Collection (Remastered)
2021
Top 10 Hits
2021
Work at Home With Lee Dorsey
2020
Night People: The Best of Lee Dorsey
2020
Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On)
2019
The EP Collection
2016
The Essential Lee Dorsey
2014
Do Re Me
2013
Soul Mine - The Greatest Hits & More 1960-1978
2012
Absolutely the Best
2010
Can You Hear Me
2006
Freedom For The Funk
2006
Lee Dorsey Selected Hits
2006
Golden Goodies, Vol. 17
2000
Wheelin' And Dealin' - The Definitive Collection
1997
Working in a Coalmine
1991
Night People
1978
Yes We Can
1970
Ride Your Pony - Get Out Of My Life Woman
1966
Popular tracks
Trending this week
Singles & EPs
20
Mess Around With Lee
EP · 2026
Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley b/w Four Corners
Single · 2024
Yes We Can, Pt. 1 (O.M.G. Remix)
Single · 2022
Get Out Of My Life, Woman (Extended Version)
Single · 2022
Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further
Single · 2020
The Extended Play Collection
EP · 2020
Do Re Mi
Single · 2020
Give It Up
Single · 2018
People Gonna Talk
Single · 2018
Ya Ya (Original 45 Mix)
Single · 2017
Working In The Coal Mine / Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky - Single
Single · 2010
New Orleans Nights
EP · 2010
Love Lots of Lovin' / Take Care of Our Love
Single · 1967
Hey Babe
Single · 1965
Draining
Single · 1965
Gotta Find a New Love / Organ Grinder Swing
Single · 1964
Hoodlum Joe / When I Meet My Baby
Single · 1963
Eenie-Meenie-Minee-Mo / Behind The 8-Ball
Single · 1962
Do-Re-Mi / People Gonna' Talk
Single · 1962
Ya Ya / Give Me You
Single · 1961
Community
More about Lee Dorsey
About
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Dorsey was a childhood friend of Fats Domino before moving to Portland, Oregon when he was ten years old. He served in the United States Navy in World War II and then began a career in prizefighting. Boxing as a lightweight in Portland in the early 1950s, he fought under the name Kid Chocolate and was reasonably successful. He retired from boxing in 1955 and returned to New Orleans, where he opened an auto repair business as well as singing in clubs at night. His first recording was "Lottie Mo", for the small Valiant label in 1958 (picked up by ABC Paramount in 1961), and he also recorded for the Rex label. These efforts were unsuccessful, but around 1960 he was discovered by A&R man Marshall Sehorn, who secured him a contract with Fury Records, owned by Bobby Robinson. After meeting songwriter and record producer Allen Toussaint at a party, he recorded "Ya Ya", a song inspired by a group of children chanting nursery rhymes. It went to number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Although the follow-up "Do-Re-Mi" also made the charts, later releases on Fury were not successful.
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Dorsey returned to running his repair business, but also released singles on the Smash and Constellation labels in 1963 and 1964. He was then approached again by Toussaint, and recorded Toussaint's song "Ride Your Pony" for the Amy label, a subsidiary of Bell Records. The song reached no.7 on the R&B chart in late 1965, and he followed it up with "Get Out Of My Life, Woman", "Working in the Coal Mine" – his biggest pop hit – and "Holy Cow", all of which made the pop charts in both the US and the UK. Dorsey toured internationally, and also recorded an album with Toussaint, The New Lee Dorsey in 1966. In 1970 Dorsey and Toussaint collaborated on the album Yes We Can; the title song was Dorsey's last entry in the US singles chart. It was later a hit for the Pointer Sisters under the title, "Yes We Can Can". With declining sales, Dorsey then returned to his auto repair business. In 1976 Dorsey appeared on the album I Don't Want to Go Home by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, which led to more recordings on his own with ABC Records, including the album Night People. In 1980, he opened for English punk band The Clash on their US concert tour, and also toured in support of James Brown and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Lee Dorsey in brief
- How many Lee Dorsey releases are on Riffiter?
- 49 releases are catalogued, spanning 1961 to 2026.
- When was Lee Dorsey formed?
- Lee Dorsey formed in 1924, in New Orleans, US.
- What genre is Lee Dorsey?
- Lee Dorsey is catalogued under Soul.
- What is the most recent Lee Dorsey release on Riffiter?
- Mess Around With Lee, released in 2026.