Eskew Reeder, Jr. (November 20, 1935 – October 23, 1986), usually known by the stage name Esquerita, and occasionally as S.Q. Reeder or The Magnificent Malochi, was an American R&B singer, songwriter and pianist, known for his frenetic performances. With a 6" pompadour, brocaded shirts, rhinestone shades, and a rhythmic, belligerent style of piano playing, he has been credited with influencing rock and roll pioneer Little Richard.
A native of Greenville, South Carolina, he was the son of Elizabeth and Eskew Reeder, and attended Sterling High School in Greenville from 1947 to 1950. Though most reliable sources give his birth name as Eskew Reeder, Jr.,some give the name Stephen Quincy Reeder. Although most sources give the year of his birth as 1935, other reliable sources, and his social security records, state 1938.
He was basically a self-taught pianist, and was accomplished enough to be playing in church by the age of 9 or 10. He spent his early years playing piano in E.W. Watson's Tabernacle Baptist Church. In his late teens, he dropped out of high school to join a gospel group based out of New York called the Heavenly Echoes, with whom he appeared on their Baton Records single "Didn't It Rain" in 1953.
Returning to Greenville after the breakup of the Heavenly Echoes, Esquerita established himself as the house rock and roller at the Owl Club on Washington Street under the moniker "Professor Eskew Reeder". It was there that he was 'discovered' by Gene Vincent's rhythm guitarist Paul Peek. Reeder's first solo studio recordings came about when Paul Peek got him to record some demos at a Greenville radio station (WESC) around 1958.
Paul Peek's influence and contacts with Capitol Records helped gain Reeder a record contract. Cub Koda described the results as "some of the most untamed and unabashed sides ever issued by a major label." At this point, Eskew Reeder, Jr. adopted the stage name Esquerita.
A backing band was put together, including Tony White on bass, Vincent Mosley on guitar, Ricardo Young on drums, and a backing-vocal group from Atlanta called the Gardenias. As Esquerita, he often wore heavy makeup, sunglasses, and two wigs, piling his pompadour high on his head. As a gesture of gratitude to Paul Peek for helping to get his career on track, Esquerita wrote "The Rock Around", which became Peek's first solo single for the NRC label. Esquerita played piano behind Peek on both sides of the 45.
The ensuing years found Reeder cutting several singles with various backing musicians in studios in Nashville, Dallas, New Orleans and Detroit. Capitol Records released the LP Esquerita in 1959, his only album in the traditional sense (that is, not a compilation of earlier singles, or re-issues).
Some of the musicians he recorded with during this era included Jimi Hendrix, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, and The Jordanaires (Elvis Presley's backup singers). His best known songs from this time include: "Hey Miss Lucy", "Get Back Baby", "Getting’ Plenty of Lovin’", "Rockin’ the Joint", and "Oh Baby". In 1963, he recorded a session for Berry Gordy's Motown Records but those recordings were never released.
In 1968, Reeder changed his name to The Magnificent Malochi and signed with Brunswick Records. He played keyboards on "Takin' Care Of Business" by John Hammond in 1970. Shortly after this, he began to fade from the music scene, but Linda Hopkins released a song written by Reeder called "Seven Days and Seven Nights" in 1973. Around this time, Esquerita formed a new group, consisting of Charles Neville (the saxophone player of The Neville Brothers) who then resided in Brooklyn, New York, and drummer Jerry Katz of Queens, New York. They and a few other musicians played a steady gig at Tommy Smalls Night Club on 50th Street and 8th Avenue in New York City. Several months later the group disbanded.
According to an interview with Billy Miller and Miriam Linna in the ReSearch book Incredibly Strange Music, Reeder occasionally performed at African-American gay clubs under the name Fabulash during the 1970s. He was eventually tracked down by a writer for Kicks Magazine in 1983 or 1984, who found him performing in second-rate New York City clubs. According to an article ("Who Was Esquerita?") by music historian Johnny Carter in an international oldies magazine, music maven Bill Lowery (who originated National Recording Corporation and was involved in the Peek sessions for NRC) was approached by Esquerita on the street in New York in 1985 after a conference at Broadcast Music, Inc.. Lowery confirmed that Esquerita was down on his luck and was working as a parking lot attendant but was still as flamboyant as ever.
A few months before his death, he was seen washing car windshields for tips at an intersection in Brooklyn. Esquerita's father, Eskew Reeder Sr., said that his son had died in Harlem Hospital, New York, from complications brought on by AIDS on 23 Octber 1986. He was buried in a paupers grave on Hart Island, New York. Esquerita's father (who was born on March 25, 1907) died in February 1989, a little over two years after his son's death. Eskew Sr.'s last known residence was Simpsonville, South Carolina.
(Edited from Wikipedia and various album liner notes)