Earl Forest (December 1, 1926 – February 26, 2003) was an American musician and a member of the Memphis-based R&B coalition called the Beale Streeters, which included Johnny Ace, Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, B.B.
[3] Scout and program director of WDIA, David James Mattis, would attend local shows and have musicians perform live at the radio station.
[4] Forest backed Bobby Bland on his sessions for Modern, which produced the single "Crying All Night Long" / "Dry Up Baby."
That session also included musicians Ike Turner on piano, Billy Duncan on tenor saxophone, and Matt Murphy on guitar.
Later that year, Forest's "Trouble And Me" was issued as a split single with Johnny Ace's "Mid Night Hours Journey" on Flair Records.
As a songwriter, Forest co-wrote the blues standard "Next Time You See Me" which was recorded by Junior Parker, Frankie Lymon, James Cotton and many others.