Huey “Piano” Smith Dies: New Orleans Rocker Behind ‘Rockin’ Pneumonia And Boogie Woogie Flu’, ’Sea Cruise’ Was 89

Greg Evans
·2 min read

Huey “Piano” Smith, the R&B pianist and composer whose 1950s hits “Don’t You Just Know It” and “Rockin’ Pneumonia and Boogie Woogie Flu” added New Orleans spice to the early rock ‘n’ roll recipe, died February 13 at his home in Baton Rouge, LA. He was 89.

His death was announced by his daughter Acquelyn Donsereaux. A cause was not specified.

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A New Orleans native who launched his career as a session pianist while still in his teens, eventually working with Little Richard, Lloyd Price, Guitar Slim and Smiley Lewis (“I Hear You Knocking”), Smith formed his band Huey “Piano” Smith and the Clowns in 1957. They soon had a minor hit with “Rockin’ Pneumonia and Boogie Woogie Flu,” a song the would return to the charts in cover versions over the decades. Johnny Rivers took it to the Top 10 in 1973.

Huey “Piano” Smith circa 1958 (Getty Images)
Huey “Piano” Smith circa 1958 (Getty Images)

The following year brought Amith’s biggest hit, “Don’t You Just Know It,” a catchy song featuring a call-and-response chorus of nonsense words and shouted outbursts. It peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

But perhaps the most widely known song composed by Smith and the Clowns caused the musician his greatest professional heartbreak: “Sea Cruise,” with its now-classic refrain “Oo-ee, oo-ee baby/Won’t ya let me take you on a sea cruise?”, was composed and recorded by Smith’s band, but his label, Ace Records, added the vocals of white singer Frankie Ford. Smith later told a biographer that the label owner reasoned if Smith could “sell a million on this record, Frankie can sell 10 million.”

The record, credited to Ford, became a million seller and one of the most recognizable and widely covered hits of the pre-Beatles rock and roll era. It has been used in scores of TV and film soundtracks.

Smith would be engulfed in litigation for decades over royalties and credits for “Sea Cruise.” While his New Orleans R&B stylings would be cited by subsequent generations of rock musicians — along with Rivers, “Rockin’ Pneumonia” would be covered by a long list of artists including Aerosmith and Deep Purple — Smith struggled financially for years, declaring bankruptcy in 1997. He later recovered at least some portion of royalties through numerous lawsuits.

He largely retired from performing in the 1980s.

Smith is survived by wife Margrette Riley, 10 children, 18 grandchildren and 47 great grandchildren, his daughter Donsereaux told the Associated Press.

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