Thomas Herman Ridgley, known as Tommy Ridgley, and born on October 30, 1925, in New Orleans, Louisiana, was an R&B singer-songwriter, pianist, and bandleader. He began his musical career singing in harmony groups at a local church and later learned to play the piano while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. In 1946, he won a talent contest at the Dew Drop Inn, which helped launch his professional career. Ridgley released his debut single "Shrewsbury Blues"/"Early Dawn Boogie" in 1950 with Dave Bartholomew's Orchestra. He later signed with Atlantic Records and released "I'm Gonna Cross That River" (1953). In the late 1950s, Ridgley formed his own band, the Untouchables, and became a resident performer at the Dew Drop Inn. Tommy Ridgley passed away on August 11, 1999.
