Solomon Charles Waterford, known as Crown Prince Waterford, was born on October 26, 1916, in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He began his singing career in his late teens, performing with various bands, including Andy Kirk's 12 Clouds of Joy. Waterford served in the US Army during World War II and returned to Chicago nightclubs by 1944. He joined Jay McShann's band, recording tracks like "Crown Prince Boogie" for the Philo label, which led him to adopt the moniker "The Crown Prince Of The Blues." In 1946, he recorded "Girl Friend Blues" for Hy-Tone and later worked with Aladdin, Capitol, and King Records. Waterford's career spanned various genres such as jazz, blues, and gospel. In 1965, he was ordained as the Rev. Charles Waterford and recorded a gospel album. He returned to performing at the age of 85 for the Springing The Blues festival in 2002, releasing All Over But The Shoutin'. Waterford passed away on February 1, 2007.
