Willie Lee Perryman, professionally known as Piano Red and later as Dr. Feelgood, was an influential American blues musician born on October 19, 1911, near Hampton, Georgia. He passed away on July 25, 1985, in Decatur, Georgia. Piano Red was a self-taught pianist known for his barrelhouse blues style, characterized by a loud, percussive approach suitable for noisy bars and taverns. His music career spanned from the 1930s to the 1980s, during which he became the first blues musician to hit the pop music charts.

Perryman's early life was marked by his upbringing on a farm where his parents, Ada and Henry Perryman, were sharecroppers. He was an albino African American, as was his older brother Rufus, who also pursued a career in blues piano under the name Speckled Red. The family moved to Atlanta when Perryman was six, where his mother bought a piano for her sons. Despite their poor vision due to albinism, both brothers developed their musical skills by ear.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Piano Red performed at house parties, juke joints, and barrelhouses across Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee, honing his energetic playing and singing style to overcome the lack of sound systems. He played alongside notable Georgia bluesmen such as Barbecue Bob and Blind Willie McTell. His career took a significant turn when he began performing for white audiences in Brevard, North Carolina, and at clubs in Atlanta.

Piano Red's influence extended into the 1950s and 1960s, with his 1950 recording "Rocking With Red" being credited by some historians for popularizing the term rock and roll in Atlanta. His music bridged the gap between segregated "race music" and rhythm and blues, appealing to both black and white audiences. Throughout his career, his recordings featured his roles as a pianist, composer, leader, and vocalist, contributing significantly to the development of blues and R&B music.