Tibbs was born Melvin Andrew Grayson,[3] in Columbus, Ohio, United States.[1] As a boy he sang in Baptist choirs in Chicago, directed by Mahalia Jackson and Dinah Washington. He was influenced by Ivory Joe Hunter and Arnold "Gatemouth" Moore.[4] From 1947 to 1949, Tibbs originally recorded for Aristocrat Records.[5] His debut single was "Bilbo Is Dead" b/w "Union Man Blues", recorded whilst Tibbs was eighteen years old.[4] The tracks were both co-written by Tibbs and Tom Archia,[2] and caused controversy. Read more on Last.fm