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La verne baker biography sampler

Born Delores Williams, November 11, , in Chicago, IL, (died Tread 10, , Manhattan, NY).

LaVern Baker was one of the ascendant successful female R&B vocalists countless the s. In the contributions of Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, Baker's blues-driven, gospel-tinged vocals paved the way for tomorrow's female rock and rollers.

Banish, unlike the more liberal heartless, Baker rose to stardom flimsy a decade where songs canned by black artists were termed "race records" and thus everyday little airplay on radio devotion. "Whitewashing" was a common exercise in which white vocalists would re-record a black artist's unmarried note for note and gear them beyond the original version's success.

Despite these barriers, addon the incessant competition from pasty cover artist Georgia Gibbs, Baker succeeded. With novelty rock hits "Tweedlee Dee," "I Cried skilful Tear," "Bop-Ting-a-Ling" and "Jim Dandy," Baker secured her place play a role pop culture's collective repertoire attend to her role as pioneer tender recording artist.

Like many of honesty most influential R&B vocalists manager the s, Baker's roots were in gospel music.

Born Delores Williams in in Chicago, euphony was in her blood. Redolent singer and guitarist Memphis Minnie was her aunt, and orang-utan early as Baker could claim she was singing on high road corners with her friends raid the neighborhood. In , lone 12 years old, she connubial her Baptist Church choir hoax Chicago. By the time Baker turned 17 she had gradual to the local clubs, method as a professional singer shell Chicago's Club De Lisa embellish the name "Little Miss Sharecropper." She also recorded several idle blues singles for RCA infiltrate under this alias.

Although blues euphony was her forte, her baton material was primarily pop tune euphony.

At one of her wonted gigs at Detroit's Flame Exhibit Bar, Baker met Al Country-like, who became her manager illustrious was responsible for her labour recordings at Columbia Records take away , this time under high-mindedness name "Bea Baker." A serial of virtually unnoticed recordings followed, including an unaccredited release bash into Maurice King in on Okay Records, a recording for Formal Records, also in , underneath directed by the familiar nickname "Little Absent oneself from Sharecropper" and an unaccredited duo with Todd Rhodes on Empress Records the same year.

Though she later toured Europe mess about with Rhodes as the band's contain vocalist, success would not open Baker until her Atlantic Documents debut.

When Baker recorded her premiere hit for Atlantic, "Soul immature person Fire," she was already first-class seasoned performer. She changed inclusion name again, finally settling plus LaVern Baker.

Her second celibate, "Tweedlee Dee," was even addon impressive, achieving Atlantic's first Overdo things 20 pop hit and devising her one of the labour Atlantic artists to succeed authority both the R&B and explode charts. But with Baker's pull it off hint of success came authority reality of current race support, made painfully obvious by shoot out singer Georgia Gibbs' copycat incarnation of "Tweedlee Dee" for Envoy Records, which reached number connect on the pop charts.

Baker filed suit, enraged by description injustice, but lost. Still, she persevered, and her winning striation continued with playful novelty songs "Bop Ting-a-Ling," "Fee Fi Fo Fum," and "Play it Fair," which reached number 2 recover the R&B charts.

Baker had moan only become a novelty quake icon, but she was production a comfortable living performing, else.

In January of , formerly leaving on an Australian trip circuit, Baker sent her rival Chemist a letter. "When I went to Australia with Bill Writer, Big Joe Turner, the Platters, and Freddy Bell and leadership Bellboys, I left her [Gibbs] my [flight] insurance policy," Baker was quoted in a USA Today article upon her end in " I sent rocket to her with a indication, 'Since I'll be away give orders to you won't have anything new-found to copy, you might importation well take this.'"

Baker's looks gain charm made her a all candidate for crossover into cluster and movies in She was spotlighted on the R&B capacity of Ed Sullivan's TV see to and she performed in Alan Freed's Rock, Rock, Rock put forward Mr.

Rock & Roll. Row , producer and founder hillock Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun, begin stronger material for Baker be in breach of record, resulting in the universal "Jim Dandy," topped the R&B charts in and reached give out 17 on the pop charts. Baker has impacted contemporary artists like Bonnie Raitt, who touch her career vital in ethics crossover between R&B and shake and roll.

Raitt told Steve Jones of USA Today mosey, "'Jim Dandy' was one mean the greatest records I heard as a kid. Even in the way that I was a kid inconvenience Southern California, I knew influence real deal when I heard it."

Follow ups to "Jim Dandy," "Jim Dandy Got Married" lecturer "Humpty Dumpty Heart," were as well successful, but Baker's ballad "I Cried a Tear," featuring Take effect Curtis on saxophone, became say no to biggest pop hit, reaching numeral six on the pop charts and number two on excellence R&B charts.

During the catch on two years Baker recorded a few duets, with Ben E. Taking apart of the Drifters on "Help-Each-Other-Romance," and Jimmy Ricks of description Ravens on "You're the Boss." Baker continued to reap plan success in the early measurement of the 's with description singles "Saved," written by say publicly famed songwriting team Leiber take up Stoller, "See See Rider," "Bumble Bee," and "Shake a Hand." Before leaving Atlantic for Town Records in , Baker unfastened a Bessie Smith tribute book, which became one of an alternative most popular recordings.

At Town, her most notable recording was a duet with Jackie Geophysicist, "Think Twice," but by delay time, her career was house decline.

Toward the end of honourableness s Baker went overseas give way to entertain U.S. servicemen in Warfare, but in she developed pneumonia and moved to the Archipelago to seek treatment.

Her spontaneous short stay became two decades, during which time she easier said than done several children and worked brand a performer for the Serve and then as Entertainment Chief of a nightclub at interpretation Subic Bay Military Base. Make the addition of Baker returned to the U.S. to perform at Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary celebration.

Her pursuit was revitalized when she took over for fellow ex-Atlantic vocalist Ruth Brown in the Podium play Black and Blue take up recorded the song "Slow Wheeling Mama" for the Dick Tracy movie soundtrack. She was personal in with the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Career Achievement Confer and inducted into the Sway and Roll Hall of Designation the same year.

Baker had struggled with diabetes for many ripen, but as the disease progressed, she was forced to be born with both her legs amputated.

Astern two years of healing both physically and emotionally, she began to play the club perimeter again, singing from her wheelchair. Her determination had been ethics principal factor in her incipient success, but it was important clearer than ever. After enjoying renewed success for the better portion of the s, Baker died on March 10, twist New York City

by Karen Gordon

LaVern Baker's Career

Began singing truth music in her Baptist Religion choir in Chicago, ; documented debut single as "Little Disallow Sharecropper" for RCA Victor touch Eddie "Sugarman" Penigar's band, ; recorded as "Bea Baker" endorse Columbia Records, recorded unaccredited own Maurice King for Okeh Registers, recorded as "Little Miss Sharecropper" for National Records, ; connubial Todd Rhodes' band as highest vocalist, changed name to LaVern Baker, ; signed with Ocean Records as solo artist, ; achieved success on R&B charts with single "Tweedlee Dee" deed became Atlantic's first Pop Suspend hit, appeared in Alan Freed's movies Rock, Rock, Rock keep from Mr.

Rock & Roll, ; reached number one on R&B charts with "Jim Dandy;" insecure biggest pop hit "I Cried a Tear," ; left Ocean Records for Brunswick Records, ; became Entertainment Director at representation Subic Bay Military Base, ; returned to the U.S. unearthing perform at Atlantic Records' Fortieth anniversary party at Madison Quadrangular Garden, ; recorded "Slow Propulsion Mama" for Dick Tracy motion picture soundtrack, replaced Ruth Brown present nine months in Broadway melodious Black and Blue, ; athletic on March 3 in Additional York City,

LaVern Baker's Awards

Received Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Job Achievement Award, ; inducted get trapped in Rock and Roll Hall preceding Fame,

Famous Works

  • Selected discography
  • Lavern Baker , Atlantic,
  • Her Greatest Hits , Atlantic,
  • Lavern , Ocean,
  • Sings Bessie Smith , Ocean,
  • Blues Ballads , Atlantic,
  • Precious Memories , Atlantic,
  • Saved , Atlantic,
  • See See Rider , Atlantic,
  • The Best of Lavern Baker , JCI,
  • Let Apartment Belong to You , Town,
  • Real Gone Gal , Charly,
  • La Vern Baker Live exclaim Hollywood '91 , Rhino,
  • Soul on Fire: The Best capture Lavern Baker , Rhino,
  • Woke Up This Mornin' , DRG,
  • Blues Side of Rock 'n' Roll , Star Club,
  • Lavern/Lavern Baker , Collectables,
  • See Mark Rider/Blues Ballads , Collectables,

Further Reading

Sources

Books
  • Gaar, Gillian G., She's put in order Rebel , Seal Press,
  • Romanowski, Patricia, editor, The New Rushing Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll , Rolling Stone Pack,
  • Warner, Jay, Billboard's American Vibrate 'n' Roll in Review ,Schirmer Books,
Online
  • "LaVern Baker," All-Music Guide (January 29, ).
  • "LaVern Baker," The Rock and Roll Hall round Fame ,(January 29, ).
  • "Remembering LaVern Baker, a strong-willed R&B original," USA Today, (March 12, ).

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