George L. Crockett (September 18, 1928 – February 15, 1967), also known as G. Davy Crockett, was an American R&B singer, whose best known records were "Look Out Mabel" in 1957 and "It's A Man Down There", an R&B hit in 1965.
He was born in Carrollton, Mississippi, United States. Little is known of his life, but by the mid-1950s he was living in Chicago where he performed with Freddie King and Magic Sam. He made his first recording, "Look Out Mabel", on which he was credited as G. Davy Crockett to cash in on the Davy Crockett craze of the period. It was issued in late 1957, on the Chief label owned by Mel London. Although positively reviewed by Billboard, and now seen as a rockabilly classic, it was not a hit and Crockett made no more recordings for several years.
Some reports state that he lived in Washington, D.C. during the 1960s. In 1965, he recorded several more tracks for the Four Brothers record label run by Jack Daniels in Chicago. They included "It's A Man Down There", which reached number 13 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 67 on the Hot 100. Its success led to an answer record ("I'm the Man Down There") by Jimmy Reed, and to an alternate take of "Look Out Mabel" being released by Checker Records. However, Crockett failed to follow up his commercial success, and Jack Daniels later said that Crockett's alcoholism made him difficult to work with.
Crockett died in Chicago in 1967, aged 38, of a cerebral haemorrhage resulting from hypertension.
"Look Out Mabel" has been reissued on several compilations of rockabilly and rock and roll music, particularly in Europe.
Links to Peel[]
Peel would sometimes play tracks from the singer on his programmes. After Peel's death in 2004, it was later found out that he had two of G.L. Crockett's singles in his record box.
John Peel's Record Box[]
- It's A Man Down There / Every Hour, Every Day (4 Brothers) 1965
- Look Out Mabel / Did You Ever Love Somebody (Checker) 1965
Shows Played[]
- 06 January 1978: Look Out Mabel (7" - Did You Ever Love Somebody) Checker
- 06 January 1978: It's A Man Down There (7") 4 Brothers
- 1983
- 26 December 1983: Look Out Mabel (7" - Did You Ever Love Somebody / Look Out Mabel) Checker
- 1984
- Peel October To December 1984: Look Out Mabel
- 1988
- 12 January 1988: Look Out Mabel (7" - Did You Ever Love Somebody / Look Out Mabel) Checker
- 01 January 1990: It's A Man Down There (7") 4 Brothers
- 1992
- 05 June 1992: 'It's A Man Down There (7 inch)' (4 Brothers)
- 1995
- 07 April 1995: 'Look Out Mabel (LP-House Rockin' Blues)' (Ace)
- 1997
- 01 February 1997: ‘It’s A Man Down There (7 inch)’ 4 Brothers
- 02 February 1997: 'Look Out Mable (7")' Checker
- 2001
- 02 August 2001: Look Out Mabel (7") Chief