They Heard Him Knockin' But They Wouldn't Let Him In

Who was the all time greatest New Orleans blues singer? Take a straw poll of R&B aficionados and local veteran musicians, and more often than not, Smiley Lewis will get the nod.

Depending on the situation, Smiley possessed a voice that could shake the shot glasses off a South Rampart Street bar or lullaby a baby to sleep. One of New Orleans' most prolific artists, between 1947 and 1965 Lewi...