Doris Troy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Doris Troy (January 6, 1937 – February 16, 2004) was an R&B singer, known to her many fans as "Mama Soul."

She was born Doris Payne in The Bronx, the daughter of a Barbadian Pentecostal minister. Her parents disapproved of "subversive" forms of music like rhythm & blues, so she cut her teeth singing in her father's choir. She was working as an usherette at the Apollo where she was discovered by the Godfather of Soul, James Brown.

Troy worked with Solomon Burke, The Drifters, Cissy Houston, and Dionne Warwick before she co-wrote and recorded "Just One Look," which hit #10 in 1963. The song has been covered by The Hollies, Linda Ronstadt, Bryan Ferry, and Harry Nilsson, among others. As her solo career peaked, she did back-up for the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd (famously singing on their seminal album Dark Side of the Moon), George Harrison, Dusty Springfield, Nick Drake and Carly Simon.

"Mama, I Want To Sing," a musical based on her life, was co-written with her sister, Vy. It ran for 1,500 performances at the Heckscher Theatre in Harlem. Troy played her own mother, Geraldine. Chaka Khan played the young Doris.

She died from emphysema at her home in Las Vegas, Nevada, aged 67.