Pigmeat Markham

Though primarily celebrated for his comedic talents rather than musical ones, Pigmeat Markham ventured into recording during the 1960s with a string of novelty releases that featured his rhythmic, rhyming spoken routines backed by urgent, blues-inflected funk grooves. These efforts not only foreshadowed hip-hop by a full decade but also secured him positions on the pop charts. Born in Durham, North Carolina, on April 18, 1904, under either the name David Markham or Dewey Martin—biographical accounts continue to differ on the accurate choice—he launched his professional life in 1917 as a dancer in a touring revue that featured Bessie Smith. He adopted the moniker Pigmeat Markham from a number in his repertoire titled “Sweet Papa Pigmeat,” and soon established himself as a comic, sharing bills on the burlesque circuit with emerging talents such as Red Buttons and Milton Berle. A sizable performer endowed with a gravelly voice, Markham’s expansive stage presence earned him a devoted audience in African-American venues, where he spent years on the chitlin’ circuit and took roles in several independent Black-cast films. Following an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, he joined the Chess Records roster in 1964 and issued multiple standup comedy albums. One routine centered on an irritable judge known for his impatience with courtroom antics; titled “Here Comes the Judge,” the sketch later aired on the hit television program Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Once the phrase became a national sensation and Shorty Long recorded a song sharing the title, Markham himself cut a version in which he delivered a rhyming rendition of the material over a driving R&B arrangement supplied by a band under the direction of producer and musician Gene Barge. Although similar material had long thrived on the chitlin’ circuit, the track represented a fresh sound for broadcast audiences, climbing to number 19 on the pop charts during the summer of 1968. Subsequent singles such as “Sock It to ’Em, Judge,” “The Hip Judge,” and “Your Wires Have Been Tapped” followed, yet none matched the original’s impact. Markham eventually resumed full-time standup work, though the recordings had elevated his visibility and negotiating power on broader stages. After a career that extended across seven decades, he passed away on December 13, 1981, following a stroke.