Frederick "Shorty" Long (1940-1969) was a singer, songwriter, and producer who worked for Motown on their Soul Records label, which was intended for blues-based artists. His first single release was "Devil With The Blue Dress On" in 1964, which he co-wrote; it was later successfully covered by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels (who combined it with "Good Golly Miss Molly").
"Here Comes The Judge" was a catchphrase that became nationally prominent when Sammy Davis Jr. performed a comedy routine on the TV show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In that featured it. Long's song with this title reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The creator of the comedy routine, Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham, performed it regularly on Laugh-In during the 1968-1969 season. He released his own, unrelated, song with that title later in 1968. Widely considered a forerunner of hip-hop with its spoken rhymes, it reached #19 on the Hot 100.
Sadly, Long was not around for much longer: he drowned in the Detroit River in 1969 when his boat crashed. Stevie Wonder played the harmonica at his funeral and then placed it on his casket.
Created February 24, 2026.