LaVern Baker

LaVern Baker ( born November 11, 1929 in Chicago, Illinois, † March 10, 1997 in New York City; actually Delores Baker, but not Delores Williams, as often stated incorrectly ( by marriage name) ) was an American rhythm and Blues singer.

Life and career

She began in a Chicago gospel choir, from which she joined at seventeen years in Chicago and one in a Detroit nightclub, where they could book under the name Little Miss Sharecropper. The stage name referred to occurring in Chicago since the early 40s Little Miss Cornshucks whose theme song " So Long " also Baker sang. In Detroit, she was discovered by the jazz orchestra leader Fletcher Henderson, who gave her a recording contract with Okeh Records. Together with the orchestra of Todd Rhodes took for King Records in Cincinnati on their first singles, but remained completely unnoticed. She called from now on LaVern Baker.

In 1954 she received a recording contract with Atlantic Records. Their manager was Al Green, who took care of their other rhythm-and - blues recordings until his death in 1957 at Baker. One among them was the classic " Tweedlee Dee ", which later became a big hit for Georgia Gibbs. Baker sued Gibbs' record company for damages for plagiarism. This theft was not referring to the songwriting royalties, but to the Arrangement, the clay has been taken for sound. The then noticed in the scientific process industry decided to the disadvantage of Baker and Atlantic. Baker managed with " Tweedle Dee " just a place 14 in the R & B charts.

Starting in 1956, her singles reached but then regularly in the pop charts. Their albums did not sell particularly well, significantly LaVern Baker Sings Bessie alone Smith 1958 on the Baker several of Smith's blues classics recites and is accompanied by jazz musicians. By 1960, the Hitwelle stopped ( including her best-known song I Cried A Tear ), but then urged " Hitsville " Motown Baker ever more into the background. Through collaboration with the composer and producer duo Leiber / Stoller they had in 1962 with See See Rider their last major single success.

After some duets with Jackie Wilson could give her no comeback, she emigrated to Japan, where she worked as an entertainer. 1969 defeated her pneumonia a further career in show business and she moved to the Philippines. She lived there with her husband and initiated a nightclub.

In 1988, she returned for the 40th anniversary of Atlantic back to New York and was the successor Ruth Brown in the Broadway musical Black and Blue. In 1991, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and they began a comeback. Although it had to be amputated as a result of diabetes disease in 1995 both legs below the knee, they continued to perform - now sitting in a wheelchair - on. On 10 March 1997 LaVern Baker died in a New York hospital from heart failure.

Awards

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