Esther Phillips

Esther Mae Jones ( born December 23, 1935 in Galveston, Texas; † 7 August 1984 in Los Angeles, California), which acted as Little Esther, and Esther Phillips, was an American singer, in addition to the blues and jazz, country, Soul and Disco sang. She was often compared to Nina Simone, whereas it stated Dinah Washington as their model. Overall, Phillips arrive over a period of 33 years 19 hits in the American R & B charts.

Biography

In 1949 she took part in a talent contest in the " Barrelhouse Club" by Johnny Otis in Los Angeles. Otis was so impressed that he hired her for his revue The California Rhythm and Blues Caravan, where she performed as Little Esther.

In 1950 she had the vocal quartet " The Robins " their first hit, Double Crossin 'Blues. In the same year her get a whole lot of great R & B hits: Mistrustin 'Blues, Misery, Cupid Boogie, deceivin ' Blues, Boogie Wedding and Far Away Blues ( Xmas Blues ). In 1952 Ring -A- Ding- Doo. After her departure from Otis success was after.

1962 was rediscovered Little Esther by Kenny Rogers. Now appeared under the pseudonym Esther Phillips Release Me, and they had a top 10 hit on the pop and number-one hit on the R & B charts. The Beatles invited them to England, where she got her own TV show. Mid-1960s, she stood at the label Atlantic under contract. Here you get minor successes with And I Love Him (1965 ) and When a Woman Loves a Man ( 1966). At this time, Phillips was fighting with her heroin addiction.

In 1972, the album From a Whisper to a Scream, which was nominated for a Grammy. The price then was Aretha Franklin, but it - gave it to Phillips - as a gesture of admiration. At this time she was busy with Creed Taylor's Kudu under contract, a sublabel of CTI. In 1975, she was here with a disco version of the classic What a Difference a Day Makes ( Original from the Dorsey Brothers, a well-known version is by Dinah Washington) another, worldwide hit. The end of 1976 she succeeded with Magic's in the Air / Boy, I Really Tied One on another top 5 hit in the U.S. disco charts. Even then they still recorded some songs on in this style, but a more successful you will no longer succeed.

Phillips died in 1984 from liver and kidney failure as a result of their heroin and alcohol addiction.