Harry "The Hipster" Gibson

Before drifting into lasting obscurity after only a fleeting period in the spotlight, the skilled yet quirky pianist and vocalist Harry "the Hipster" Gibson first gained notice. He began his career performing stride piano on 52nd Street, even delivering a rendition of "In a Mist" during a 1944 Eddie Condon Town Hall concert. What ultimately built his cult following, however, were the wildly unconventional songs he wrote—such as "Who Put the Benzedrine in Mrs. Murphy's Ovaltine," "Handsome Harry the Hipster," and "Stop That Dancin' Up There"—paired with a manic vocal approach that anticipated rock & roll by roughly ten years. His most authoritative sides appeared on Musicraft in 1944 and 1947, while a handful of soundies from the same era preserved his singular stage presence. Yet heavy substance abuse triggered a rapid fall from favor after 1947. Although he later cut a rather unhinged Christmas album in 1974 and contributed fresh material to Progressive in 1986, Gibson never fully realized his considerable promise.