Irving Sully Banister Sr. (February 16, 1933 – December 15, 2020)[1] was an American guitarist who recorded and performed R&B music, in a career lasting more than sixty years.

There weren't any guitar players in the band, so I bought a big hollow body Epiphone, a pickup, and amplifier from a music store on South Broad Street for $100.

"[2] James "Sugar Boy" Crawford recalled, "During high school we had a little band, nothing real organized at first.

In 1952, the group came to the attention of Dr. Daddy-O (Vernon Winslow), New Orleans' first black disc jockey, who aired a daily show on WMRY.

The band did not yet have a name, but they had an instrumental that was their theme song called "Chapaka Shawee", creole words they heard on the street that translated roughly as "we aren't raccoons".

"[2] At a 2011 Ponderosa Stomp Music History Conference in New Orleans Banister recalled how he studied blues guitarist Guitar Slim's playing at the Dew Drop Inn. "

Banister was by this time listening to records Mickey Baker, Pete "Guitar" Lewis, and Wayne Bennett played on, incorporating aspects of their styles into his own technique.

[7] Banister was the guitarist when Eddie Bo recorded his "I'm Wise", a hit in New Orleans that Little Richard later covered as "Slippin' And Slidin".

[2] After things slowed down for Eddie Bo's band, Banister left to join Danny White and the Cavaliers in 1959.

Their early Sunday morning gig at the Dream Room on Bourbon Street was the band's most popular.

"[2] White cut a down-tempo version of "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye", written by Al Reed.

The session was produced by adept arranger Wardell Quezergue, who recorded the renowned guitar part from Irving Banister and background singing by Wanda Rouzan and her sisters.

[5] Walter "Wolfman" Washington was a young guitarist in Irma Thomas' band who looked up to Banister.

[11] Ironically British musicians, who adulated black R&B, pushed established R&B artists from American radio airwaves.

Author Rick Coleman wrote, "There was a strange, distorted reflection taking place, as British groups brought R&B back to America."

Crawford was attempting to restart his career, after a beating by Louisiana State Police left him out of action for two years.

Porter told interviewer Chris Robie, "I was playing with a band called Irving Banister & the All Stars.

Irving Banister was the guitar player who played this famous solo on a Danny White song, 'Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye'.

I've worked with local artists like Johnny Adams, Irma Thomas, Ernie K-Doe, and touring acts like Solomon Burke.

"[2] Robert Fontenot, Jr. of the Ponderosa Stomp wrote of Banister and the All Stars, "Lack of fame never stopped Bannister (sic) from keeping the spirit of traditional New Orleans rhythm and blues alive, and his band lives up to its billing by consistently featuring some of the finest musicians in the city.

Her husband, she said, never took interest in being a masking Indian; she started in the tradition a year after their son, Irving "Honey" Banister Jr., joined as chief scout in 1971.

[15] Banister's last known recording was an appearance on son Honey's band Cha Wa's 2016 debut "Funk and Feathers".