Oliver Morgan, 74, R & B Singer
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Oliver Morgan, a New Orleans rhythm & blues vocalist best known for his 1964 hit “Who Shot the La La,” died Tuesday in Atlanta. He was 74.
Morgan grew up in New Orleans’ 9th Ward alongside Fats Domino, Jessie Hill, and Smiley Lewis. He sang in church and with friends from the neighborhood and recorded his first single in 1961 for AFO Records under the name “Nookie Boy.”
Three years later, “Who Shot the La La,” a whimsical take on the mysterious 1963 death of singer Lawrence “Prince La La” Nelson — who was not shot, but died of an apparent drug overdose — became his first and only national hit.
Morgan toured nationally on the strength of the strutting party anthem but eventually settled back into the life of a local entertainer. He performed with his trademark second-line umbrella, and was among the first to incorporate this jazz funeral accessory into a nightclub act, and never hesitated to lead a parade.
Morgan and his wife, Sylvia, lived in the Lower 9th Ward until Hurricane Katrina’s breached levees destroyed their home. They moved to Atlanta.
