Gerri Hall
Gerri Hall, born Erdine Bouise on August 2, 1934, in New Orleans, is an American R&B singer best known for her work with Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns. She has roots in African, Spanish, and American Indian heritage. She named herself after comedian Jerry Lewis, and her last name came from her ex-husband, who was related to Fats Domino’s wife.
She started as a waitress at the Dew Drop Inn, where she met Huey Smith and Bobby Marchan and joined the Clowns in 1957. Hall became a key member, singing on hits like Don’t You Just Know It. She also recorded with Huey Smith as the duo Huey and Jerry.
In 1962, Hall did backing vocals on Earl King’s Imperial Records sessions, with two tracks released on the Post label: Don’t You Lose It and Don’t Cry My Friend. She also performed live with Benny Spellman and Smiley Lewis in New Orleans. As a solo artist, she released several singles in the 1950s and 1960s and appeared on the TV show The !!!! Beat in 1966. Her solo single I Cried a Tear was released on RAI and later distributed by Atco.
Later she joined Ray Charles’s Raelettes. She performed with the Clowns at Tipitina’s in May 1981, often cited as the Clowns’ last live appearance. After that, she performed only occasionally, but she appeared as a panelist at the Ponderosa Stomp music conferences in New Orleans in 2010 and 2011.
Her discography includes the Clowns’ hits like Don’t You Just Know It, solo singles such as I Cried a Tear, and later-released Ace recordings What I Learned About You and It’s Not As Easy As That.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 06:52 (CET).