LaVern Baker

Delores LaVern Baker (born Delores Evans; November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an American rhythm and blues singer who had several hit records on the pop charts in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Baker began singing in Chicago clubs such as the Club DeLisa in 1946, often billed as Little Miss Sharecropper, and first recorded under that name in 1949, leading to a recording deal with that title for National Records in 1951, shortly before it folded.

Under her mother's new surname, McMurley, Delores – on December 23, 1948, at age, in Cook County, Illinois – married Eugene Williams.

She changed her name briefly to Bea Baker when recording for Okeh Records in 1951, switched to Delores Baker, and then was billed as LaVern Baker when she sang with Todd Rhodes and his band in 1952.

In 1953, she signed with Atlantic Records as a solo artist, her first release being "Soul on Fire".

Her most successful records were "Tweedle Dee" (1955), "Jim Dandy" (1956), and "I Cried a Tear" (1958).

From 1955 to 1965, 20 of her songs made the R&B charts.

Over the years, Elvis Presley recorded eight Baker songs.

Born in Chicago as Delores Evans, she was raised in nearby Calumet City.

Her first hit came in early 1955, with the Latin-tempo "Tweedle Dee", which reached number 4 on the R&B chart and number 14 on the national US pop chart.

It sold over one million copies.

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 and petitioned Congress to consider such covers copyright violations, citing Gibbs and Vickie Young as copying her arrangement and vocal style.

Her request spurred Charles Diggs to lead a Congressional investigation into song theft.

In 1955, Baker was the second most-played female artist in the United States after Etta James 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 and she was one of the key musicians creating cross-over success for R&B.

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 was certified as a gold disc.

Baker toured Australia in 1957 as part of Lee Gordon's Big Show, performing with a number of rock 'n' roll bands including Bill Haley and the Comets.

She also toured the West Indies, raising her international profile and becoming one of the most popular musicians in Jamaica.

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 by King Curtis), "I Waited Too Long" (number 5 R&B, number 3 pop, written by Neil Sedaka), "Saved" (number 17 R&B, written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller), and "See See Rider" (number 9 R&B in 1963).

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 and by 1961, she had three million-selling singles: "I Cried a Tear", "Tweedle Dee", and "Jim Dandy".

In addition to singing, she did some work with Ed Sullivan and Alan Freed on TV and in films, including Rock, Rock, Rock and Mr. Rock & Roll.

After divorcing Eugene Williams in the fall of 1958, Baker married the comedian Slappy White February 19, 1959, in Baltimore.

In 1964, she recorded the Bessie Smith tribute album LaVern Baker Sings Bessie Smith.

She then left Atlantic for Brunswick Records, for which she recorded the album Let Me Belong to You.

In 1966, Baker recorded "Think Twice", a duet single with Jackie Wilson.

The controversial song featured raunchy lyrics considered inappropriate for airplay at that time or even today.

Three versions were recorded, one of which is the version with the raunchy lyrics.

After the couple divorced in 1969, Baker signed on for a USO tour.

She became seriously ill with bronchial pneumonia after a trip to Vietnam.

While recovering at the U.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 performed a song for Alan Parker's film Angel Heart (1987), which appeared on the original vinyl soundtrack album but was not included on the later CD issue for contractual reasons.

In 1988, she performed at Madison Square Garden for Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary.

She then worked on the soundtracks of the films Shag (1989), Dick Tracy (1990) and A Rage in Harlem (1991), all of which were issued on CD.

In 1990, she made her Broadway debut, replacing Ruth Brown as the star of the hit musical Black and Blue at Brown's suggestion.

Baker was inducted into the Rock 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".

She remained there for 22 years, returning to the United States after the base was closed in 1991.

In 1991, Rhino Records released the album Live in Hollywood, recorded at the Hollywood Roosevelt Cinegrill as well as Soul on Fire, a compilation of her Atlantic hits.

In 1992, she recorded the album Woke Up This Morning for DRG Records.

She continued performing after both legs were amputated because of complications due to diabetes in 1994.