LOTSA POPPA
400 Pounds of Soul!

  Lotsa Poppa at Blind Willie's Tellin' stories at Blind Willie's
Atlanta, GA

 
Sad News...
 
Julius L. High Jr - "Lotsa Poppa" -
passed away peacefully on July 14, 2014.
He was 78 years old.
 
You can view his obitituary
and sign the guestbook
in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution here:
Julius L. High Jr.
 
His memorial service was held
Monday July 21st, at
Donald Trimble Mortuary
1876 Second Avenue, Decatur GA 30032
They also have a guestbook
and a link to send cards and flowers

 

  You can hear Poppa sing:
Lotsa Poppa on Soundcloud
 
Lotsa Poppa's singles:
"I Found A Love"
"That's Where It's At"

Notice he was "420 Pounds of TNT" back then!
"A Tribute to Sam"
"Look In Your Mirror"
"Tennesee Waltz"

 
but before "Lotsa Poppa" he was
"Little Julius"
The Happy Song
The Bachelor

 
This tune was recorded by "Lukas Lollipop"
but we're pretty sure it was Lotsa Poppa

"Don't Hold On To Someone
(Who Don't Love You)"




 
Lotsa Poppa CDs are availble
"Live at Blind Willie's"
and
"Whip It On Me, Poppa"

To to order a CD
Contact Poppa's brother George
 

 
Lotsa Poppa Show Poster

  Consistently voted
"Best Blues Singer"
by readers of Atlanta Magazine
 
  In 2002, Lotsa Poppa received a commendation, SR824, from the Georgia General Assembly:
A Resolution
 
  Check out Bryan Powell's story in Creative Loafing about Poppa:
Poppa Don't Preach

 

 

Lotsa Poppa with Willie Hill Willie Hill with Lotsa Poppa at
Darwin's, Marietta, GA

Slideshow Photos of Lotsa Poppa
from 1996 thru 2001

 

 :


Jusy & Poppa
Judy & Poppa
 
For the past several years, Poppa was in a nursing home in Atlanta. He pretty much had to stay in bed all the time, but he was always happy to have visitors, and would even sing you a song!

Poppa and Christy Jan 23, 2007
Poppa and Christy, Jan 23, 2007

 
August 2, 1935: Born Julius High Jr. to Anna and Reverend Julius High Sr. in Atlanta GA, and baptized by Martin Luther King Jr.
 
1940-1960: Sang in the Ebeneezer Baptist Church choir
 
September 4, 1962: First paid performance as "Little Julius" at the Knotty Pince Supper Club in Forest Park GA as a member of "The Royals"
 
Summer 1963(?): Nicknamed "Lotsa Poppa" in Chicago while on tour with Sam Cooke and Dinah Washington
 
November 1964: Recorded "That's Where It's At" and "The Bachelor" on Specialty Records
 
1965-1970: Was primary opening act for all major shows at the famous Royal Peacock Lounge on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta GA. He also toured with The Ink Spots, James Brown, and Jimmy Reed
 
March 1965: Recorded "A Tribute to Sam [Cooke]," which made the BMI charts
 
February 18, 1966: Married Juanita Justice, singer with Bobby "Blue" Bland, and the Atlanta Mass Choir
 
Spring 1975: Did 30 one-nighters with Sam Cooke, Dee Clark, Wilson Pickett, Dion Warwick, The Drifters, and Solomon Burke at such venues as the Uptown Theatre in Philadelphia, the Apollo Theatre in New York, and the Howard Theatre in Washington DC
 
Spring 1978: Moved to Bostom MA and began playing nightclubs and the college circuit throughout New England and Canada
 
Summer 1988: Moved back to Atlanta to be close to his aging parents
 
Spring 1989: Began a weekly stint at Blind Willie's in Atlanta after sitting in and singing one song on a Wednesday night, after which the bookkeeper called the owner and said "We need to hire him."
 
Spring 1996: Teamed up with the Atlanta Heat Blues Revue as his backup band
 
Summer 1996: Performed daily at the Centennial Olympics Equestrian Park
 
October 1998: Released his album "I'm All You'll Ever Need"
 
September 4, 2000: Played his 38th year Anniversary Show at the Auburn Avenue Elks Club in Atlanta
 

 :

 :


People talking about Lotsa Poppa:

Sir Shambling's Deep Soul Heaven - Lotsa Poppa
Soul Music and the Artsis who made it
 
Joy & Sorrow - RIP Lotsa Poppa
JT Thompson's blog
 
Idyllopuspress
Julie Kearn's blog
 
Georgia
Excerpt from the book by
Rheta Grimsley Johnson and Craig M Tanner

 
Dream Boogie:
The Triumph of Sam Cooke

Excerpt from the book by Peter Guarlnick
 
Tennessee Waltz -
She Ain't Gonna Do Right

45 Recorded by Poppa on
Lotta Soul Records in Canada

 

Other Links:

George High
(Poppa's brother)
Greg High
(Poppa's son)
 
Blind Willie's
(Poppa's home base in Atlanta)
 
The Atlanta Blues Society
 
 

 

Many musicians played with Poppa over the years.
Send info to JT Thompson and I will add a link here.

 
Marty Kearns
(Played keyboards with Poppa for many years)
 
The Atlanta Heat Blues Revue
(Backed up Poppa 1995-2004)
John "JT" Thompson
Johnny Scales
Ronnie Kent
David Faulkner
Tommy Knight
 

 

Yes, this website style is dated -
but Poppa was Old School so his website is Old School!
 
All pages and images ©Copyright JTBlues 2006-14; All Rights Reserved

  Questions? click here