Johnny O’Keefe - She’s My Baby (1959)

Al Lucas - She’s My Baby (1959)

(Scott Turnbull - Tom Moffatt - Earl Finch)
 USA
Original version

Single on Challenge #59042, reviewed in Billboard 13 April 1959.

Al Lucas (1936-1997), born Alfred Hornos Jr, was a Hawaiian singer of Filipino descent who released two singles on Los Angeles label Challenge in 1959. He was born in Honolulu, served in the U.S. Air Force, and was residing in the town of Lihue on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi at the time of his death.

Not to be confused with jazz bassist Al Lucas (1916-1983) or American footballer Al Lucas (1978-2005).

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The writer credits are to Canadian-born guitarist-singer-songwriter-producer Scott Turnbull (pictured, right); Honolulu deejay Tom Moffatt; and Al Lucas’s manager Earl Finch.

Scott or Scotty Turnbull (1931-2009), real name Graham Morrison Turnbull), was best known as Scott or Scotty Turner. He also recorded as Graham “Scotty” Turnbull, and wrote some songs as Allison Dewar.

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Tom Moffatt recalls (by email) that the song was written in November 1958 when Scott Turner was in Hawaii to back Tommy Sands in The 10th Show Of Stars. Connie Francis, The Diamonds and Scott Turner’s group, The Raiders, were on the bill, along with local artists who included Al Lucas. Tom Moffatt was the emcee. Tom writes: I remember coming up with the first line of the song. It described a Hawaii girl who was my current love at the time… I interviewed Johnny O’Keefe on my radio show after the song was released on Liberty records in the US. (Email to PopArchives, March 2008)

Tom Moffatt, who helped to launch the career of another Hawaiian artist, Robin Luke (Susie Darlin’, 1958, #5 USA), continued presenting an oldies radio show in Hawaii well into the 2010s and wrote a celebrity news column in the Hawaiian magazine Midweek.

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Further reading: 

Al Lucas: See the 1997 Star Bulletin (Honolulu) obituary of “Alfred B. Hornas Jr also known as Al Lucas, entertainer”. This page has details of Alfred Hornas in his father’s household from the 1940 US Census. 

Scott Turner (aka Scotty Turnbull): Damian Johnstone’s 2009 tribute at Spectropop, and the Wikipedia entry on Scott Turner. See also Scotty Turner’s band The Raiders at Rockin’ Country Style.

Tom Moffatt: Profile at MidWeek magazine (Hawaii), and an archive of his column there, Uncle Tom’s Gabbin.

Challenge Records: For more about the label, co-founded in 1957 by cowboy singer-actor Gene Autry, see the pages at Both Sides Now, Wikipedia and Rockin’ Country Style.

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Thanks to Earl Mitchell for pointing the way to the original version, and to Tom Moffatt and Damian Johnstone for further background.

 
Scotty Turnbull, co-writer of She’s My Baby, on Australian TV, March 1959. From Damian Johnstone – The Wild One (2001), p.77 (thanks to Damian Johnstone).