ably ▁the ▁hits ▁" B aby ▁What ▁You ▁W ant ▁Me ▁to ▁Do ", ▁" Big ▁B oss ▁Man " ▁and ▁" B right ▁L ights , ▁Big ▁City ". ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁Re ed ▁had ▁established ▁himself ▁as ▁a ▁popular ▁music ian . ▁He ▁joined ▁the ▁Gary ▁Kings ▁with ▁John ▁Br im ▁and ▁played ▁on ▁the ▁street ▁with ▁Will ie ▁Joe ▁Dun can . ▁Re ed ▁failed ▁to ▁gain ▁a ▁recording ▁contract ▁with ▁Ch ess ▁Records , ▁but ▁signed ▁with ▁V ee - J ay ▁Records ▁through ▁Br im ' s ▁drum mer , ▁Albert ▁King . ▁At ▁V ee - J ay , ▁Re ed ▁began ▁playing ▁again ▁with ▁Edd ie ▁Taylor ▁and ▁soon ▁released ▁" You ▁Don ' t ▁Have ▁to ▁Go ", ▁his ▁first ▁hit ▁record . ▁It ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁long ▁string ▁of ▁hit ▁songs . ▁ ▁Re ed ▁maintained ▁his ▁reputation ▁despite ▁his ▁r amp ant ▁alco hol ism ; ▁his ▁wife ▁sometimes ▁had ▁to ▁help ▁him ▁remember ▁the ▁lyr ics ▁to ▁his ▁songs ▁while ▁recording . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁Re ed ▁developed ▁ep ile ps y , ▁though ▁the ▁condition ▁was ▁not ▁correctly ▁diagn osed ▁for ▁a ▁long ▁time , ▁as ▁Re ed ▁and ▁do ctors ▁assumed ▁it ▁was ▁del iri um ▁trem ens . ▁When ▁V ee - J ay ▁Records ▁closed , ▁his ▁manager ▁signed ▁a ▁contract ▁with ▁the ▁fled g ling ▁ABC - Bl ues way ▁label , ▁but ▁Re ed