More Info on LaVern BakerSimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
Refimprove|date=September 2011Infobox musical artist | name = LaVern Baker| birth_name = Delores LaVern Baker| background = solo_singer| image = LaVern Baker.jpg| caption =| alias = Delores Williams Little Miss Sharecropper Bea Baker| Born = birth date|1929|11|11 Chicago , Illinois , United States | Died = death date and age|1997|3|10|1929|11|11 Queens , New York City|New York , United States| origin =| genre = Blues rhythm and blues|R& B | occupation = Singer , actress | years_active = 1946–1967 1988–1991| label = National Records|National Okeh Records|Okeh Atlantic Records|Atlantic Brunswick Records|Brunswick | associated_acts = Jackie Wilson | website = LaVern Baker (November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an United States|American rhythm and blues singer , who had several hit record s on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were " Tweedlee Dee " (1955), " Jim Dandy (song)|Jim Dandy " (1956), and "I Cried a Tear" (1958).
Early life
She was born Delores LaVern Baker in Chicago , Illinois . She is occasionally referred to as Delores Williams because of an early marriage to Eugene Williams; in the late 1940s he was identified in RCA Victor record company files as "D. L. McMurley." She was the niece of blues singer Merline Johnson and was also related to Memphis Minnie .
Career
She began singing in Chicago clubs such as the Club DeLisa around 1946, often billed as Little Miss Sharecropper , http://books.google.es/books? id=a_EPZSGORPgC& pg=PA176& lpg=PA176& dq=club+delisa+AND+chicago& source=bl& ots=QXpr4ShfUZ& sig=eiv4l5mZREQFXlPZj-t-5LevTPM& hl=es& ei=SNeBStG7ONSfjAfc9_SGCg& sa=X& oi=book_result& ct=result& resnum=9#v=onepage& q=& f=false Deffaa, Chip Blue rhythms: six lives in rhythm and blues University of Illinois Press, 1996 ISBN 0252022033, 9780252022036 at Google Books and first recorded under that name in 1949. She changed her name briefly to Bea Baker when recording for Okeh Records in 1951, and then became LaVern Baker when singing with Todd Rhodes and his band in 1952.
In 1953 she signed for Atlantic Records as a solo artist, her first release being "Soul on Fire". Her first hit came in early 1955, with the Latin-tempo "Tweedlee Dee" reaching #4 on the R& B chart and #14 on the national US pop charts. Georgia Gibbs scored the bigger hit with her version of "Tweedle Dee", for which Baker unsuccessfully attempted to sue her.
Baker 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" (#3 R& B), "Play It Fair" (#2 R& B), and "Still" (#4 R& B). At the end of 1956 she had another smash hit with " Jim Dandy (song)|Jim Dandy " (#1 R& B, #17 pop). It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a music recording sales certification|gold disc .cite book|first=Joseph|last=Murrells|year=1978|title=The Book of Golden Discs|edition=2nd|publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd |location=London|page=88|isbn=0-214-20512-6Further hits followed for Atlantic, including the follow-up "Jim Dandy Got Married" (#7 R& B), "I Cried a Tear" (#2 R& B, #6 pop in 1959), "I Waited Too Long" (#5 R& B, #3 pop, written by Neil Sedaka ), "Saved" (#17 R& B, written by Leiber and Stoller ), and " See See Rider " (#9 R& B in 1963).
In addition to singing, Baker also did some work with Ed Sullivan and Alan Freed on TV and in films, including Rock, Rock, Rock and Mr. Rock & Roll . In 1964, she recorded a Bessie Smith tribute album, before leaving Atlantic and joining Brunswick Records , where she recorded the album "Let Me Belong to You".
In 1966, Baker recorded a duet single with Jackie Wilson . The controversial song, Think Twice , featured raunchy lyrics that were not considered appropriate for airplay at that time or even today.cite web|author=Jeffrey Morgan|title=Pervert's Ball, Side Two|work=Creem Online|publisher= Creem|Creem Media, Inc. |location=Detroit|year=2004|url= http://www.creemmedia.com/_site/BeatGoesOn/LucilleBogan/PervertsBallSideTwo001.html|accessdate=2011-11-26
In the late 1960s, she became seriously ill after a trip to Vietnam to entertain American soldiers. While recovering at the U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay|Subic Bay Naval Base in the Philippines , a friend recommended that she stay on as the entertainment director at the Marine Corps Staff NCO club there, and she remained there for 22 years.
In 1988 she returned to perform at Madison Square Garden for Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary. She then worked on the soundtracks to films such as Shag , (1989), Dick Tracy , (1990) and A Rage in Harlem (1991), which were all issued on CD.
In 1990, she made her Broadway debut replacing Ruth Brownas star of the hit musical Black and Blue . In 1991, Rhino Records released a new album Live in Hollywood recorded at the Hollywood Roosevelt Cinegrill, as well as a compilation of her greatest Atlantic hits entitled Soul on Fire . In 1992 she recorded a well-received studio album, Woke Up This Morning , for DRG Records. She continued performing after having both legs amputated from diabetes in 1994 and made her last recording, "Jump Into the Fire," for the 1995 Harry Nilsson tribute CD, For the Love of Harry on the Music Masters label.
She received the 1990 Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. In 1991, Baker became the second female solo artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , following Aretha Franklin in 1987. Her song "Jim Dandy" was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and was ranked #343 on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time .
LaVern Baker died from cardiovascular disease|coronary complications in 1997, and was interred in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Kew Gardens , New York . She originally lay in an unmarked grave, but a fundraiser was scheduled by local historians to give LaVern a headstone, and this was accomplished on May 4, 2008. http://www.nysac.com/archive/abc_s08.html Nysac.com
'Side A' #"Lots and Lots of Love" #"Of Course I Do" #"You'll Be Crying" #"Miracles" #"I'm in a Crying Mood" #"Mine All Mine"
'Side B' #"Harbor Lights" #"I'll Never Be Free" #"Romance in the Dark" #"Everybody Is Somebody's Fool" #"How Long Will It Be" #"Fool That I Am"
LaVern Baker (1957)
'Side A' #"Jim Dandy" #"Tra La La" #"I Can't LoveYou Enough" #"Get Up, Get Up (You Sleepy Head)" #"That's All I Need" #"Bop-Ting-a-Ling" #"Tweedlee Dee"
'Side B' #"Still" #"Play It Fair" #"Tomorrow Night" #"That Lucky Old Sun" #"Soul on Fire" #"My Happiness Forever" #"How CanYou Leave a Man Like This? "
LaVern Baker Sings Bessie Smith (1958)
'Side A' #"Gimme a Pigfoot (And a Bottle of Beer)" #"Baby Doll" #"On Revival Day" #"Money Blues" #"I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle" #"Back Water Blues"
'Side B' #"Empty Bed Blues" #"There'll Be a Hot time in the Old Town Tonight" #"Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" #"After You've Gone" #"Young Woman's Blues" #"Preaching the Blues"
Blues Ballads (1959)
'Side A' #"I Cried a Tear" #"If YouLove Me" #"You're Teasing Me" #"Love Me Right" #"Dix-a-Billy" #"So High So Low"
'Side B' #"I Waited Too Long" #"Why Baby Why" #"Humpty Dumpty Heart" #"It's So Fine" #"Whipper Snapper" #" St. Louis Blues (song)|St. Louis Blues "
'Side A' #"Precious Memories" #"Carrying the Cross for My Boss" #"Just a Closer Walk With Thee" #"Touch Me, Lord Jesus" #"Didn't It Rain" #"Precious Lord"
'Side B' #"Somebody Touched Me" #"In the Upper Room" #"Journey to the Sky" #"Everytime IFeel the Spirit" #"Too Close" #"Without a God"
Saved (1961)
'Side A' #"Saved" #"For Love of You" #"Manana" #"My Time Will Come" #"Shadows of Love" #"Must I Cry Again"
'Side B' #"Bumble Bee" #" Shake a Hand " #"Don Juan" #"Wheel of Fortune" #"Senor Big and Fine" #"Eternally"
See See Rider (1963)
'Side A' #" See See Rider " #"You Better Stop" #"He's a Real Gone Guy" #"Story of My Love" #"You Said" #"I'm Leavin' You"
'Side B' #" Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes " #"Trying" #"Half of Your Love" #"A Little Bird Told Me So" #"Endless Love" #"All the Time"
'Side A' #"Pledging My Love" #"Let Me Belong to You" #"I'm the One to Do It" #"Baby" #" Born to Lose "
'Side B' #"Call Me Darling" #"Love Is Ending" #"Baby Don't YouDo It" #"I Need You So" #"Play It Fair"
References
Reflist
External links
imdb name|id=0048673|name=LaVern Baker
Amg name|206897
http://home.att.net/~marvy42/Lavern/lavern.html Biography of Lavern Baker
http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/lavern_baker Discography of Lavern Baker
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi? page=gr& GRid=5971685 Find A Grave Memorial
Persondata|NAME=Baker, Delores |ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Baker, LaVern |SHORT DESCRIPTION=American singer |DATE OF BIRTH=November 11, 1929 |PLACE OF BIRTH= Chicago , Illinois |DATE OF DEATH=March 10, 1997 |PLACE OF DEATH= Queens, New York DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Lavern Category:Actors from Illinois Category:African American singers Category:African American female singers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American gospel singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American television actors Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Cardiovascular disease deaths in New York Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Jump blues musicians Category:1929 births Category:1997 deaths
