La verne baker biography of william

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

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

However, unlike the more liberal s, Baker rose to stardom in a decade where songs recorded by black artists were termed "race records" and thus received little airplay on radio stations.

Delores LaVern Baker born Delores Evans ; November 11, — March 10, [ 1 ] was an American rhythm and blues singer who had several hit records on the pop charts in the s and early s. Baker was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Over the years, Elvis Presley recorded eight Baker songs. Baker began singing in Chicago clubs such as the Club DeLisa in[ 7 ] often billed as Little Miss Sharecropper[ 8 ] and first recorded under that name inleading to a recording deal with that title for National Records inshortly before it folded.

"Whitewashing" was a ordinary practice in which white vocalists would re-record a black artist's single note for note and popularize them beyond the imaginative version's success. Despite these barriers, particularly the incessant competition from white cover artist Georgia Gibbs, Baker succeeded.

With novelty rock hits "Tweedlee Dee," "I Cried a Tear," "Bop-Ting-a-Ling" and "Jim Dandy," Baker secured her place in pop culture's collective repertoire and her role as pioneer female recording artist.

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

Born Delores Williams in in Chicago, music was in her blood.

LaVern Baker was born in Chicago in Sources vary as to what her name was at birth: Chip Deffaa reports that Delores Williams, frequently given in other secondary sources as her birth name, was actually a name from an soon marriage.

Blues singer and guitarist Memphis Minnie was her aunt, and as early as Baker could speak she was singing on street corners with her friends from the neighborhood. In , only 12 years aged, she joined her Baptist Church choir in Chicago.

By the time Baker turned 17 she had graduated to the local clubs, working as a professional singer at Chicago's Club De Lisa under the name "Little Miss Sharecropper." She also recorded several fruitless blues singles for RCA in under this alias.

Although blues music was her forte, her club material was primarily pop music.

At one of her regular gigs at Detroit's Flame Show Bar, Baker met Al Green, who became her manager and was responsible for her first recordings at Columbia Records in , this hour under the name "Bea Baker." A series of virtually unnoticed recordings followed, including an unaccredited release with Maurice King in on Okeh Records, a recording for National Records, also in , under the familiar nickname "Little Miss Sharecropper" and an unaccredited duet with Todd Rhodes on King Records the equal year.

Although she later toured Europe with Rhodes as the band's lead vocalist, success would not reach Baker until her Atlantic Records debut.

When Baker recorded her debut hit for Atlantic, "Soul on Fire," she was already a seasoned performer.

LaVern Baker – Spontaneous Lunacy: Delores LaVern Baker (born Delores Evans; November 11, – March 10, ) [1] was an American rhythm and blues singer who had several hit records on the pop charts in the s and early s. Her most successful records were "Tweedle Dee" (), "Jim Dandy" (), and "I Cried a Tear" ().

She changed her call again, finally settling on LaVern Baker. Her second single, "Tweedlee Dee," was even more striking, achieving Atlantic's first Top 20 pop hit and making her one of the first Atlantic artists to succeed on both the R&B and pop charts.

But with Baker's first hint of success came the life of current race relations, made painfully obvious by pop singer Georgia Gibbs' copycat version of "Tweedlee Dee" for Mercury Records, which reached number two on the pop charts.

Baker filed suit, enraged by the injustice, but lost.

Baker was described as one of the most eccentric, beautiful divas of her time. Baker also dabbled in TV and movies. Rock and Roll. While in Vietnam she would fall ill with pneumonia and would end up in a Thai hospital recovering.

Still, she persevered, and her winning streak continued with playful novelty songs "Bop Ting-a-Ling," "Fee Fi Fo Fum," and "Play it Fair," which reached number 2 on the R&B charts.

Baker had not only become a novelty rock icon, but she was making a comfortable living acting, too.

In January of , before leaving on an Australian tour, Baker sent her rival Gibbs a letter. "When I went to Australia with Bill Haley, Big Joe Turner, the Platters, and Freddy Bell and the Bellboys, I left her [Gibbs] my [flight] insurance policy," Baker was quoted in a USA Today article upon her death in " I sent it to her with a letter, 'Since I'll be away and you won't have anything new to copy, you might as well take this.'"

Baker's looks and charm made her a perfect candidate for crossover into television and movies in She was spotlighted on the R&B segment of Ed Sullivan's TV show and she performed in Alan Freed's Rock, Rock, Rock and Mr.

Rock & Roll.

In the tradition of Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, Baker's blues-driven, gospel-tinged vocals paved the way for future female rock and rollers. However, unlike the more liberal s, Baker rose to stardom in a decade where songs recorded by ebony artists were termed "race records" and thus received little airplay on radio stations. Despite these barriers, particularly the incessant rivalry from white cover artist Georgia Gibbs, Baker succeeded. With novelty rock hits "Tweedlee Dee," "I Cried a Tear," "Bop-Ting-a-Ling" and "Jim Dandy," Baker secured her place in pop culture's collective repertoire and her role as pioneer female recording artist.

In , producer and founder of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun, create stronger material for Baker to record, resulting in the accepted "Jim Dandy," topped the R&B charts in and reached number 17 on the pop charts.

Baker has impacted contemporary artists like Bonnie Raitt, who regard her career vital in the crossover between R&B and rock and roll. Raitt told Steve Jones of USA Today that, "'Jim Dandy' was one of the greatest records I heard as a kid.

Even when I was a kid in Southern California, I knew the real deal when I heard it."

Follow ups to "Jim Dandy," "Jim Dandy Got Married" and "Humpty Dumpty Heart," were also successful, but Baker's ballad "I Cried a Tear," featuring King Curtis on saxophone, became her biggest pop hit, reaching number six on the pop charts and number two on the R&B charts.

During the next two years Baker recorded several duets, with Ben E. King of the Drifters on "Help-Each-Other-Romance," and Jimmy Ricks of the Ravens on "You're the Boss." Baker continued to reap chart success in the early part of the 's with the singles "Saved," written by the famed songwriting team Leiber and Stoller, "See See Rider," "Bumble Bee," and "Shake a Hand." Before leaving Atlantic for Brunswick Records in , Baker released a Bessie Smith tribute album, which became one of her most popular recordings.

R&B singer LaVern Baker was born Delores LaVern Evans in Chicago, Illinois on November 11, Baker was described as one of the most eccentric, beautiful divas of her time. Although her actual music career wouldn’t begin until she first began singing in Chicago as early as going under the stage name Short-lived Miss Sharecropper.

At Brunswick, her most notable recording was a duet with Jackie Wilson, "Think Twice," but by that period, her career was in decline.

Toward the end of the s Baker went overseas to entertain U.S. servicemen in Vietnam, but in she developed pneumonia and moved to the Philippines to seek treatment.

Her intended small stay became two decades, during which time she raised several children and worked as a performer for the Marines and then as Entertainment Director of a nightclub at the Subic Bay Military Base. In Baker returned to the U.S.

to perform at Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary celebration. Her career was revitalized when she took over for fellow ex-Atlantic singer Ruth Brown in the Broadway act Black and Blue and recorded the song "Slow Rolling Mama" for the Dick Tracy show soundtrack.

By Jack Watkins September 27, The booming voice on more serious material could be overpowering. So although some critics have written about her as if her talent was wasted on novelty material for Atlantic that, undoubtedly, stretched her so little that she could own sung it in her nap, it was these apparently frivolous 50s rockers that showed her in the best light. Additionally, her Atlantic ballads drew some incredibly sensitive performances.

She was honored in with the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Career Achievement Award and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the same year.

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

After two years of healing both physically and emotionally, she began to play the club circuit again, singing from her wheelchair. Her determination had been the principal factor in her initial success, but it was now clearer than ever.

After enjoying renewed success for the greater portion of the s, Baker died on March 10, in New York City

by Karen Gordon

LaVern Baker's Career

Began singing gospel music in her Baptist Church choir in Chicago, ; recorded debut single as "Little Miss Sharecropper" for RCA Victor with Eddie "Sugarman" Penigar's band, ; recorded as "Bea Baker" for Columbia Records, recorded unaccredited with Maurice King for Okeh Records, recorded as "Little Long for Sharecropper" for National Records, ; joined Todd Rhodes' band as lead vocalist, changed name to LaVern Baker, ; signed with Atlantic Records as solo designer, ; achieved success on R&B charts with single "Tweedlee Dee" and became Atlantic's first Pop Top hit, appeared in Alan Freed's movies Rock, Rock, Rock and Mr.

Rock & Roll, ; reached number one on R&B charts with "Jim Dandy;" released biggest pop hit "I Cried a Tear," ; left Atlantic Records for Brunswick Records, ; became Entertainment Director at the Subic Bay Military Build, ; returned to the U.S. to perform at Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary party at Madison Square Garden, ; recorded "Slow Rolling Mama" for Dick Tracy movie soundtrack, replaced Ruth Brown for nine months in Broadway musical Black and Blue, ; died on March 3 in New York City,

LaVern Baker's Awards

Received Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Career Achievement Award, ; inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,

Famous Works

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

La verne baker biography of william

LaVern Baker's Career

LaVern Baker's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading