[1] He was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and developed his piano style influenced by St. Louis blues pianist Walter Davis.
He toured with Sammy Green's Hot Harlem Review, and backed singers Big Mama Thornton and Percy Mayfield, before reaching Chicago in the late 1940s.
[3] Later in 1953 he recorded "Cold Love" and other tracks as Little Temple for the Specialty label in Los Angeles, with Jimmy Liggins (harmonica), Ted Brinson (bass), and an unknown drummer.
[4] He remained in Los Angeles for the rest of his career, and learned woodworking while continuing to perform, with Johnny Otis' band and others, and record.
[7] He released several further singles on Flash, including "Spark Plug" and "Payday Shuffle", before forming his own label, Pioneer International, with Clayton Metzler in 1959.