LaVern Baker
Encyclopedia
LaVern Baker was an 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
" (1956), and "I Cried a Tear" (1958).
, 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
.
around 1946, often billed as Little Miss Sharecropper, 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
" (#1 R&B, #17 pop). It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
. Further 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.
In the late 1960s, she became seriously ill after a trip to Vietnam
to entertain American soldiers. While recovering at the 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 Brown
as 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 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.
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United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
singer, who had several hit record
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
s on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedlee Dee" (1955), "Jim Dandy
Jim Dandy (song)
"Jim Dandy" is a song written by Lincoln Chase, and was first recorded by American R&B singer LaVern Baker in 1956. It reached the top of the R&B chart and #17 on the pop charts in the U.S...
" (1956), and "I Cried a Tear" (1958).
Early life
She was born Delores LaVern Baker in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. 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
Merline Johnson
Merline Johnson was an African American blues singer in the 1930s and 1940s, billed as The Yas Yas Girl.Little is known of her life, but she is thought to have been born in Mississippi. She was the aunt of rhythm and blues singer LaVern Baker. She first recorded in Chicago in 1937, on songs...
and was also related to Memphis Minnie
Memphis Minnie
Memphis Minnie was an American blues guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. She was the only female blues artist considered a match to male contemporaries as both a singer and an instrumentalist.-Career:...
.
Career
She began singing in Chicago clubs such as the Club DeLisaClub DeLisa
The Club DeLisa, also written Delisa or De Lisa, at State Street and Garfield Avenue, on the South Side, was an important nightclub and music venue in Chicago....
around 1946, often billed as Little Miss Sharecropper, and first recorded under that name in 1949. She changed her name briefly to Bea Baker when recording for Okeh Records
Okeh Records
Okeh Records began as an independent record label based in the United States of America in 1918. From 1926 on, it was a subsidiary of Columbia Records.-History:...
in 1951, and then became LaVern Baker when singing with Todd Rhodes
Todd Rhodes
Todd Rhodes was an American pianist and arranger and was an early influence in jazz and later on in R&B.He was born Todd Washington Rhodes, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky...
and his band in 1952.
In 1953 she signed for Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
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
Georgia Gibbs
Georgia Gibbs was an American popular singer and vocal entertainer rooted in jazz. Already singing publicly in her early teens, Gibbs first achieved acclaim in the mid-1950s interpreting songs originating with the black rhythm and blues community and later as a featured vocalist on a long list of...
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
Jim Dandy (song)
"Jim Dandy" is a song written by Lincoln Chase, and was first recorded by American R&B singer LaVern Baker in 1956. It reached the top of the R&B chart and #17 on the pop charts in the U.S...
" (#1 R&B, #17 pop). It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. Further 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
Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka is an American pop/rock singer, pianist, and composer. His career has spanned nearly 55 years, during which time he has sold millions of records as an artist and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard...
), "Saved" (#17 R&B, written by Leiber and Stoller), and "See See Rider
See See Rider
The song is generally regarded as being traditional in origin. Ma Rainey's version became popular during 1925, as "See See Rider Blues." It became one of the most famous of all blues songs, with well over 100 versions. It was recorded by Big Bill Broonzy, Mississippi John Hurt, Lead Belly,...
" (#9 R&B in 1963).
In addition to singing, Baker also did some work with Ed Sullivan
Ed Sullivan
Edward Vincent "Ed" Sullivan was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the presenter of the TV variety show The Ed Sullivan Show. The show was broadcast from 1948 to 1971 , which made it one of the longest-running variety shows in U.S...
and Alan Freed
Alan Freed
Albert James "Alan" Freed , also known as Moondog, was an American disc-jockey. He became internationally known for promoting the mix of blues, country and rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of rock and roll...
on TV and in films, including Rock, Rock, Rock and Mr. Rock & Roll. In 1964, she recorded a Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith was an American blues singer.Sometimes referred to as The Empress of the Blues, Smith was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s...
tribute album, before leaving Atlantic and joining Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is a United States based record label. The label is currently distributed by E1 Entertainment.-From 1916:Records under the "Brunswick" label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company...
, where she recorded the album "Let Me Belong to You".
In 1966, Baker recorded a duet single with Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
. The controversial song, Think Twice, featured raunchy lyrics that were not considered appropriate for airplay at that time or even today.
In the late 1960s, she became seriously ill after a trip to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
to entertain American soldiers. While recovering at the Subic Bay Naval Base
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. It was the largest U.S...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, 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
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
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 Brown
Ruth Brown
Ruth Brown was an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, composer and actress, noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atlantic Records in the 1950s, such as "So Long", "Teardrops from My Eyes" and " He Treats Your Daughter Mean".For these...
as 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
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
, following Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
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 coronary complications
Cardiovascular disease
Heart disease or cardiovascular disease are the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis...
in 1997, and was interred in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Kew Gardens, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. 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.
Hit singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
||
| 1955 | "Tweedlee Dee" | 14 | 4 |
| "Bop-Ting-a-Ling" | 3 | ||
| "That's All I Need" | 6 | ||
| "Play It Fair" | 2 | ||
| 1956 | "My Happiness Forever" | 13 | |
| "Get Up Get Up" | 15 | ||
| "Still" | 97 | 4 | |
| "I Can't Love You Enough" | 22 | 7 | |
| "Jim Dandy Jim Dandy (song) "Jim Dandy" is a song written by Lincoln Chase, and was first recorded by American R&B singer LaVern Baker in 1956. It reached the top of the R&B chart and #17 on the pop charts in the U.S... " |
17 | 1 | |
| "Tra La La" | 94 | flip | |
| 1957 | "Jim Dandy Got Married" | 76 | 7 |
| "Humpty Dumpty Heart" | 71 | ||
| 1958 | "It's So Fine" | 24 | |
| "I Cried a Tear" | 6 | 2 | |
| 1959 | "I Waited Too Long" | 33 | 5 |
| "So High So Low" | 52 | 12 | |
| "If You Love Me" | 79 | ||
| "Tiny Tim" | 63 | 18 | |
| 1960 | "Shake a Hand" | 13 | |
| "Wheel of Fortune" | 83 | ||
| "Shadows of Love" | 83 | ||
| "Bumble Bee" | 46 | ||
| 1961 | "You're the Boss"(with Jimmy Ricks) | 81 | |
| "I'll Never Be Free"(with Jimmy Ricks) | 103 | ||
| "Saved" | 37 | 17 | |
| 1962 | "See See Rider See See Rider The song is generally regarded as being traditional in origin. Ma Rainey's version became popular during 1925, as "See See Rider Blues." It became one of the most famous of all blues songs, with well over 100 versions. It was recorded by Big Bill Broonzy, Mississippi John Hurt, Lead Belly,... " |
34 | 9 |
| 1964 | "You Better Find Yourself Another Fool" | 128 | |
| 1965 | "Fly Me to the Moon Fly Me to the Moon "Fly Me to the Moon" is a popular standard song written by Bart Howard in 1954. It was originally titled "In Other Words", and was introduced by Felicia Sanders in cabarets... " |
84 | 31 |
| 1966 | "Think Twice"(with Jackie Wilson Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history... ) |
93 | 37 |
| "Please Don't Hurt Me"(with Jackie Wilson) | 128 | ||
| "Batman To the Rescue" | 135 | ||
Albums
- LaVern (1956)
'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 Love You 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 Can You 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 You Love 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"
- Precious Memories: LaVern Baker Sings Gospel (1959)
'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 I Feel 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 HandShake a Hand"Shake a Hand" is a 1953 single written by trumpeter and bandleader Joe Morris and originally performed by Faye Adams, whose version hit number one on the R&B chart for nine weeks.-Cover versions:*Red Foley...
" - "Don Juan"
- "Wheel of Fortune"
- "Senor Big and Fine"
- "Eternally"
- See See Rider (1963)
'Side A'
- "See See RiderSee See RiderThe song is generally regarded as being traditional in origin. Ma Rainey's version became popular during 1925, as "See See Rider Blues." It became one of the most famous of all blues songs, with well over 100 versions. It was recorded by Big Bill Broonzy, Mississippi John Hurt, Lead Belly,...
" - "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 EyesDon't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes"Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" is an off meter ballad concerning a man away from home worried that his paramour may unwittingly stray from their relationship. The song was recorded in many different styles by many artists. It was written by Winston L. Moore and was published in 1952...
" - "Trying"
- "Half of Your Love"
- "A Little Bird Told Me So"
- "Endless Love"
- "All the Time"
- Let Me Belong to You (1970)
'Side A'
- "Pledging My Love"
- "Let Me Belong to You"
- "I'm the One to Do It"
- "Baby"
- "Born to LoseBorn to LoseBorn to Lose may refer to:*Born To Lose *"Born to Lose", a song by Ray Charles*"Born to Lose", a song by Dee Dee Ramone*"Born to Lose", a song by Shirley Bassey from Four Decades of Song...
"
'Side B'
- "Call Me Darling"
- "Love Is Ending"
- "Baby Don't You Do It"
- "I Need You So"
- "Play It Fair"