The Bar-Kays is an American funk band formed in 1964. The band had dozens of charting singles from the 1960s to the 1980s, including "Soul Finger" (US Billboard Hot 100 number 17, R&B number 3) in 1967, "Son of Shaft" (R&B number 10) in 1972, and "Boogie Body Land" (R&B number 7) in 1980. In 1967, they were chosen by Otis Redding to play as his backing band, and were tutored for that role by Al Jackson, Jr., Booker T. Jones, and the other members of Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Their first single, "Soul Finger", was issued on April 14, 1967, while attempting to land at Truax Field. Redding and the band were scheduled to play their next concerts in Madison. Trumpeter Ben Cauley was the only survivor of the crash. Lloyd Smith joined in 1973, and the band changed musical direction during the 1970s, forging a successful career in funk music.
Funk years
In 1976, Dodson (vocals), Alexander (bass), Lloyd Smith (guitar), Allen (trumpet), Henderson (saxophone), Frank Thompson (trombone), Stewart (keyboards), and Mike Beard (drums) brought their "Shake Your Rump to the Funk" track into the R&B top five. The group peaked as a funk band from the late 1970s to the late 1980s. They released singles such as "Move Your Boogie Body" (1979), "Hit and Run" (1981), "Freak Show on the Dance Floor" (1984), "Certified True" (1987), "Struck by You" (1989). The Bar-Kays continued to have hits on R&B charts well into the 1980s. The crime has never been solved by the Memphis police.
The band took an extended break in the late 1980s but regrouped in 1991, with Alexander once again being the only original member. Since 1991, Larry Dodson, Archie Love, Bryan Smith, and Tony Gentry have been added to the group.
Alexander's son is the award-winning rapper and record producer Phalon "Jazze Pha" Alexander, named after Phalon Jones, who died in the 1967 plane crash. In 2013, the group was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. On June 6, 2015, the Bar-Kays were inducted into the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Trumpeter Ben Cauley died in Memphis on September 21, 2015, at the age of 67.
Drummer Michael Beard died in Memphis on August 25, 2025 at the age of 69.
In popular culture
The Bar-Kays appeared in the 1973 film documentary, Wattstax.
"Freakshow on the Dance Floor" was featured in the first breakdance scene in the 1984 movie, Breakin.
In the 1985 movie, Spies Like Us, starring Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase, The Bar-Kays' hit "Soul Finger" was being played by the crew of a Soviet mobile ICBM platform on patrol in the Tajik S.S.R. Their songs "Too Hot To Stop" and "Soul Finger" are featured in the 2007 comedy film, Superbad.
The Sugar Hill Gang's 1979 single "Rapper's Delight" (long version, 14:40) contains lyrics about the Bar-Kays, Farrah Fawcett, DJ Frankie Crocker and Johnny Carson.
Discography
Albums
{| class="wikitable"
! align="center" valign="middle" rowspan="2"| Year
! align="center" valign="middle" rowspan="2"| Title
! align="center" valign="middle" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions
! align="center" valign="middle" rowspan="2"| Certifications
! align="center" valign="middle" rowspan="2"| Record label
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US Pop<br>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US R&B<br>
|-
| 1967
| Soul Finger
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
|
| rowspan="5"|Volt
|-
| 1969
| Gotta Groove
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| 40
|
|-
| 1971
| Black Rock
| align="center"| 90
| align="center"| 12
|
|-
| 1972
| Do You See What I See?
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| 45
|
|-
| 1974
| Coldblooded
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
|
|-
| 1976
| Too Hot to Stop
| align="center"| 69
| align="center"| 8
|
| rowspan="2"|Mercury
|-
| 1977
| Flying High on Your Love
| align="center"| 47
| align="center"| 7
|
- US: Gold
|-
| rowspan="2"|1978
| Money Talks
| align="center"| 72
| align="center"| 21
|
| Stax
|-
| Light of Life
| align="center"| 86
| align="center"| 15
|
| rowspan="9|Mercury
|-
| 1979
| Injoy
| align="center"| 35
| align="center"| 2
|
- US: Gold
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US R&B<br>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK<br>
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1967
| "Soul Finger"
| align="center"| 17
| align="center"| 3
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| 13
| align="center"| 33
|
- US: Gold