Wiley was instrumental in the early development of rock and roll. Originally a blues player from Houston, TX, performing and touring with the likes of Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown, Amos Milburn, Peppermint Harris, Big Mama Thorton, and many others. His early career featured recordings on Freedom, Gold Star, and Jade Records, then on to New York on Mercury, and the Sittin’ In With label which included his 1950 Cashbox R&B hit “Cry, Cry Baby” and four more 10″ singles as Ed Wiley & the After Hours Band.
In 1950 Wiley moved to Baltimore where he met up with and formed a combo with Piney Brown and Roosevelt Wardell. They released a single on Atlantic and toured nationally.
Wiley left the group in 1952 joining Jackie Brenston (“Rocket 88”), and later a combo that featured Screamin’ Johnny O’Neal, guitarist Earl Hooker, and Baltimorean Roosevelt Wardell on piano. The group released sides on King Records.
Through the ’50s Wiley was a member of organ combos between Baltimore and Philadelphia including those of Earl Omaro, Shirley Scott, and his wife Maye Robinson with whom he settled with in Philly around 1960. He subsequently worked with a who’s who of R&B and jazz artists including Brook Benton, Big Joe Turner, Piney Brown, Johnny Coles, Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin, Billy Paul, Keter Betts, and many many others, touring and recording through the ’00s.
Wiley passed away on September 27, 2010 (80) at his son’s home in Garner, North Carolina.
