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LaVern Baker | |
|---|---|
 Baker in 1956 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Delores Williams Little Miss Sharecropper Bea Baker |
| Born | Delores Evans (1929-11-11)November 11, 1929 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 10, 1997(1997-03-10) (aged 67) Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actress |
| Years active | 1946–1996 |
| Labels | National,Okeh,Columbia,Atlantic,London,Brunswick |
Spouse | Eugene Williams (m. 1948) |
Delores LaVern Baker (bornDelores Evans; November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997)[1] was an Americanrhythm and blues singer who had several hit records on the pop charts in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedle Dee" (1955), "Jim Dandy" (1956), and "I Cried a Tear" (1958).
Baker was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. The Hall remarked that her "fiery fusion of blues, jazz and R&B showcased her alluring vocals and set the stage for the rock and roll surge of the Fifties".[2] From 1955 to 1965, 20 of her songs made the R&B charts. Over the years,Elvis Presley recorded eight Baker songs.[3]
Born in Chicago as Delores Evans,[4] she was raised in nearbyCalumet City. Under her mother's new surname, McMurley, Delores – on December 23, 1948, at age nineteen, inCook County, Illinois – married Eugene Williams.[5][6]
Baker began singing in Chicago clubs such as theClub DeLisa in 1946,[7] often billed asLittle Miss Sharecropper,[8] and first recorded under that name in 1949, leading to a recording deal with that title forNational Records in 1951, shortly before it folded.[9] She changed her name briefly toBea Baker when recording forOkeh Records in 1951, switched to Delores Baker,[10] and then was billed as LaVern Baker when she sang withTodd Rhodes and his band in 1952.[5]
In 1953, she signed withAtlantic Records as a solo artist, her first release being "Soul on Fire". Her first hit came in early 1955, with the Latin-tempo "Tweedle Dee", which reached number 4 on theR&B chart and number 14 on the national US pop chart. It sold over one million copies.[11]Georgia Gibbs recorded a note-for-note cover of the song, which reached number 1; subsequently Baker made an unsuccessful attempt to sue her for $250,000[12] (equivalent to $2,934,472 in 2024) and petitionedCongress to consider such covers copyright violations,[13][14] citing Gibbs and Vickie Young as copying her arrangement and vocal style.[15][16] Her request spurredCharles Diggs to lead a Congressional investigation into song theft.[17]
In 1955, Baker was the second most-played female artist in the United States afterEtta James[18] and she had a succession of hits on the R&B charts over the next couple of years with her backing group, the Gliders, including "Bop-Ting-a-Ling" (number 3 R&B), "Play It Fair" (number 2 R&B), and "Still" (number 4 R&B). She experienced success with both pop and R&B artists[19] and she was one of the key musicians creating cross-over success for R&B.[20] At the end of 1956, she had another hit with "Jim Dandy" (number 1 R&B, number 17 pop), which sold over one million copies and wascertified as a gold disc.[21] More hits followed for Atlantic, including the follow-up "Jim Dandy Got Married" (number 7 R&B), "I Cried a Tear" (number 2 R&B, number 6 pop in 1958, with sax byKing Curtis), "I Waited Too Long" (number 5 R&B, number 3 pop, written byNeil Sedaka), "Saved" (number 17 R&B, written byJerry Leiber and Mike Stoller), and "See See Rider" (number 9 R&B in 1963).[22] In 1958, she was one of the best-selling artists for Atlantic, on a short list of musicians who never sold less than 50,000 units[23] and by 1961, she had three million-selling singles: "I Cried a Tear", "Tweedle Dee", and "Jim Dandy".[24] In addition to singing, she did some work withEd Sullivan[25] andAlan Freed on TV and in films, includingRock, Rock, Rock andMr. Rock & Roll. In 1958, she recorded theBessie Smith tribute albumLaVern Baker Sings Bessie Smith. She then left Atlantic forBrunswick Records, for which she recorded the albumLet Me Belong to You.[citation needed]
Baker toured Australia in 1957 as part ofLee Gordon's Big Show, performing with a number of rock 'n' roll bands includingBill Haley and the Comets.[26] She also toured theWest Indies,[27] raising her international profile and becoming one of the most popular musicians in Jamaica.[28]
In 1966, Baker recorded "Think Twice", a duet single withJackie Wilson.[22] The controversial song featured raunchy lyrics considered inappropriate for airplay at that time. Three versions were recorded, one of which is the version with the raunchy lyrics.[29]
After divorcing Eugene Williams in late 1958, Baker married the comedianSlappy White February 19, 1959, in Baltimore.[6] After the couple divorced in 1969, Baker signed on for a USO tour. She became seriously ill withbronchial pneumonia after a trip to Vietnam. While recovering at theU.S. naval base at Subic Bay in the Philippines, a friend recommended that she stay as the entertainment director at the Marine Corps Staff NCO club there. She remained there for 22 years, returning to the United States after the base was closed in 1991.[22][30]
In 1988, she performed atMadison Square Garden for Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary. She then worked on the soundtracks of the filmsShag (1989),Dick Tracy (1990) andA Rage in Harlem (1991), all of which were issued on CD. She performed a song forAlan Parker's filmAngel Heart (1987), which appeared on the original vinyl soundtrack album but was not included on the later CD issue for contractual reasons.
In 1990, she made her Broadway debut, replacingRuth Brown as the star of the hit musicalBlack and Blue[30] at Brown's suggestion.[31] In 1991,Rhino Records released the albumLive in Hollywood, recorded at the Hollywood Roosevelt Cinegrill as well asSoul on Fire, a compilation of her Atlantic hits. In 1992, she recorded the albumWoke Up This Morning forDRG Records.[30] She continued performing after both legs were amputated because of complications due to diabetes in 1994.[30] Baker made "Jump into the Fire", her last recording, for the 1995Harry Nilsson tribute CDFor the Love of Harry on the Music Masters label.[32] She continued to perform live after the loss of her legs; in ailing health, she sang at a benefit concert honoring her in late 1996 that helped pay for her recent medical bills.[33] At that time she said, "God took my legs, but He left me my voice so I could continue to do what I love, to sing and entertain."[33]
In 1990, Baker was among the first group of eight recipients of the Pioneer Award from theRhythm and Blues Foundation. In 1991, she became the second female solo artist inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame, followingAretha Franklin in 1987.[34] Her song "Jim Dandy" was named one of theRock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll and was ranked number 343 onRolling Stone magazine's list of the500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2020, Baker was inducted into theNational Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame
Baker died of cardiovascular disease on March 10, 1997, at the age of 67.[35][36][37] She was buried in an unmarked plot inMaple Grove Cemetery in Kew Gardens, New York. Local historians raised funds for a headstone, which was erected on May 4, 2008.[38]
| Year | Single (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | |||
| 1953 | "Soul on Fire" b/w "How Can You Leave a Man Like This" | — | — | LaVern Baker |
| 1954 | "I Can't Hold Out Any Longer" b/w "I'm Living My Life for You" | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| 1955 | "Tweedlee Dee" b/w "Tomorrow Night" | 14 | 4 | LaVern Baker |
| "Bop-Ting-a-Ling" / | — | 3 | ||
| "That's All I Need" | — | 6 | ||
| "Play It Fair" b/w "Lucky Old Sun" | — | 2 | ||
| 1956 | "My Happiness Forever" / | — | 13 | |
| "Get Up Get Up" | — | 15 | ||
| "Fee Fee Fi Fo Fum" b/w "I'll Do the Same for You" | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Still" / | 97 | 4 | LaVern Baker | |
| "I Can't Love You Enough" | 22 | 7 | ||
| "Jim Dandy" / | 17 | 1 | ||
| "Tra La La" | 94 | Flip | ||
| 1957 | "Jim Dandy Got Married" b/w "The Game of Love" | 76 | 7 | Non-album tracks |
| "Humpty Dumpty Heart" b/w "Love Me Right" | 71 | — | Blues Ballads | |
| "St. Louis Blues" b/w "Miracles" (fromLaVern) | — | — | ||
| 1958 | "Substitute" b/w "Learning to Love" | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| "Harbor Lights" b/w "Whipper Snapper" (fromBlues Ballads) | — | — | LaVern | |
| "It's So Fine" b/w "Why Baby Why" | — | 24 | Blues Ballads | |
| "I Cried a Tear" b/w "Dix-a-Billy" | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1959 | "I Waited Too Long" b/w "You're Teasing Me" | 33 | 5 | |
| "So High So Low" / | 52 | 12 | ||
| "If You Love Me" | 79 | — | ||
| "Tiny Tim" b/w "For Love of You" (fromSaved) | 63 | 18 | Non-album track | |
| 1960 | "Shake a Hand" b/w "Manana" | — | 13 | Saved |
| "Wheel of Fortune" / | 83 | — | ||
| "Shadows of Love" | 83 | — | ||
| "A Help-Each-Other Romance" b/w "How Often" Both tracks withBen E. King | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Bumble Bee" b/w "My Time Will Come" | 46 | — | Saved | |
| 1961 | "You're the Boss"(withJimmy Ricks) / | 81 | — | Non-album tracks |
| "I'll Never Be Free"(with Jimmy Ricks) | 103 | — | ||
| "Saved" b/w "Don Juan" | 37 | 17 | Saved | |
| "I Didn't Know I Was Crying" b/w "Hurtin' Inside" | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Hey, Memphis" b/w "Voodoo Voodoo" | — | — | ||
| 1962 | "No Love So True" b/w "Must I Cry Again" (fromSaved) | — | — | |
| "See See Rider" b/w "The Story of My Love" | 34 | 9 | See See Rider | |
| 1963 | "Trouble in Mind" b/w "Half of Your Love" (fromSee See Rider) | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| "Itty Bitty Girl" b/w "Oh, Johnny Oh, Johnny" | — | — | ||
| 1964 | "You Better Find Yourself Another Fool" b/w "Go Away" | 128 | — | |
| 1965 | "Fly Me to the Moon" b/w "Ain't Gonna Cry No More" | 84 | 31 | |
| "Let Me Belong to You" b/w "Pledging My Love" | — | — | Let Me Belong to You | |
| 1966 | "Think Twice"(withJackie Wilson) / | 93 | 37 | Non-album tracks |
| "Please Don't Hurt Me"(with Jackie Wilson) | 128 | — | ||
| "One Monkey (Don't Stop the Show)" b/w "Baby" (fromLet Me Belong to You) | — | — | ||
| "Batman to the Rescue" b/w "Call Me Darling" (fromLet Me Belong to You) | 135 | — | ||
| 1967 | "Wrapped, Tied and Tangled" b/w "Nothing Like Being in Love" | — | — | |
| "Born to Lose" b/w "I Need You So" | — | — | Let Me Belong to You | |
| 1969 | "I'm the One to Do It" b/w "Baby" | — | — | |
Baker was late in receiving recognition for her role in the birth of rock and roll.
