Rita Coolidge

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Rita Coolidge
Background information
Birth name Rita Coolidge
Born May 1, 1945 (1945-05-01) (age 63)
Origin Lafayette, Tennessee
Genre(s) Pop, Adult Contemporary, Country, Native American
Occupation(s) Singer
Instrument(s) Vocals
Years active 1969–Present
Label(s) A&M Records
Associated acts Eric Clapton, Leon Russell, Kris Kristofferson
Website Rita Coolidge Official Site

Rita Coolidge (born May 1, 1945, in Lafayette, Tennessee) is a Grammy Award-winning American singer. She is of Cherokee Native American descent.[1]

Contents

[edit] Early career

Rita Coolidge's early career was as a backing vocalist, for artists such as Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, and Leon Russell. Her performance of "Superstar" on the Cocker/Russell Mad Dogs and Englishmen album helped gain her attention.

[edit] The Delta Lady

She became known as "The Delta Lady" and inspired Leon Russell to write a song of the same name for her. It was during this time that she met Kris Kristofferson; the two married in 1973. With him, she recorded several duet albums which sold well, and earned them a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1974 for From the Bottle to the Bottom, and in 1976 for Lover Please.

[edit] Solo career

She had several solo hit singles during the late 1970s with cover versions. Her first hit, "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher," a cover of the Jackie Wilson song, was also her highest seller, reaching number two on the U.S. charts in 1977. She followed that with Boz Scaggs's "We're All Alone" which reached number seven later that same year.

Other hits were "One Fine Day" (written by Carole King and a hit for the 1960s girl group the Chiffons, "We're All Alone" (originally recorded by Boz Scaggs and also covered by Frankie Valli), "Words" (The Bee Gees), "I Don't Want to Talk About It" (written by Danny Whitten), "The Way You Do the Things You Do" (The Temptations), and "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love" (Carole Bayer Sager). In 1980 Coolidge also was the voice of Melissa Raccoon in the Christmas Raccoons, and reprised this role for a subsequent special The Raccoons on Ice in 1981. Both of these specials served as a predecessor to the critically-acclaimed Canadian animated series, The Raccoons.

She scored her last hit in 1983, with "All Time High" for the James Bond film Octopussy. Another well-known movie song, although not really a hit for Coolidge, was the love theme from the movie Splash, entitled "Love Came For Me".

In 2004, Coolidge released an anthology of her complete career, entitled Delta Lady — The Rita Coolidge Anthology.

In 2006, Coolidge released a jazz CD, And So Is Love. That same year, she toured the United Kingdom on the "Once in a Lifetime Country Tour" with Don Williams and Kenny Rogers.

[edit] Walela

In 1997, Coolidge was one of the founding members of Walela, a Native American music trio, that also includes Coolidge's sister Priscilla and Priscilla's daughter Laura Satterfield. The trio released studio albums in 1997 (Walela) and 2000 (Unbearable Love), a live album and DVD (Live in Concert) in 2004 and a complilation album (The Best of Walela) in 2007. Walela means hummingbird in Cherokee.

[edit] Personal life

Coolidge married Kris Kristofferson in 1973 and they have one daughter, Casey. Her marriage to Kristofferson ended in 1980.

Before her marriage to Kristofferson, Coolidge had romantic liaisons with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash; her leaving Stills for Nash has been cited as a contributing factor behind Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's initial breakup in 1970.[2] David Crosby memorialized this situation in his song "Cowboy Movie" (from the album If I Could Only Remember My Name, 1971); Coolidge is the "sweet little Indian girl" of the song. Stills has referenced his relationship with Coolidge in his work as well; he refers to her by the nickname "the Raven" in his song "Sit Yourself Down" (Stephen Stills, 1970) and similarly named one side of his first album with Manassas (Manassas, 1972) in her honor.

She graduated from Andrew Jackson Senior High located in Jacksonville, Florida in 1963.

She now lives in a small town located in southern California.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Hit singles

Year Song Title Album US Hot 100 US AC US Country UK
1969 "Turn Around and Love You" (Single) 96 - - -
1972 "Fever" The Lady's Not For Sale 76 - - -
1973 "My Crew" (B-side of "Fever") - 38 - -
"Whiskey, Whiskey"1 106 - - -
"A Song I'd Like to Sing" (with Kris Kristofferson) Full Moon 49 12 92 -
1974 "Loving Arms" (with Kris Kristofferson) 86 25 98 -
"Rain" (with Kris Kristofferson) Breakaway - 44 87 -
1975 "Lover Please" (with Kris Kristofferson) - 42 - -
1977 "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher And Higher" Anytime...Anywhere 2 5 - 48
"We're All Alone" 7 1 - 6
1978 "The Way You Do the Things You Do" 20 9 - -
"Words" - - - 25
"You" Love Me Again 25 3 - -
"Love Me Again" 68 20 - -
1979 "One Fine Day" Satisfied 66 15 - -
"I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love" 38 3 - -
1980 "Somethin' 'Bout You Baby I Like" (with Glen Campbell) Somethin' 'Bout You Baby I Like 42 39 - -
"Fool That I Am" Coast To Coast Soundtrack. 46 15 - -
1981 "The Closer You Get"² Heartbreak Radio 103 - - -
1983 "All Time High" Octopussy Soundtrack 36 1 - 75
"Only You" Never Let You Go - 37 - -
1984 "Something Said Love" Inside The Fire - 15 - -

1"Whiskey, Whiskey" did not chart on the Hot 100, but reached number six on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
²"The Closer You Get" did not chart on the Hot 100, but reached number three on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

[edit] Albums

Title Release
Date
Label US Billboard Peak Notes
Rita Coolidge Feb 1971 A&M 105
Nice Feelin' Nov 1971 135
The Lady’s Not For Sale Oct 1972 46
Full Moon (with Kris Kristofferson) 1973 26 First duet album for Kris and Rita
Fall Into Spring Apr 1974 55 Unreleased on CD
Breakaway (with Kris Kristofferson) 1974 Monument 103 Second duet album for Kris and Rita
It’s Only Love Nov 1975 A&M 85 Unreleased on CD
Anytime…Anywhere Mar 1977 6 Limited release on CD in Japan in early 90s only
Love Me Again May 1978 32
Natural Act 1978 106 Third and final duet album for Kris and Rita
Satisfied Sep 1979 95 Limited release on CD in Japan in early 90s only
Greatest Hits 1980 107
Heartbreak Radio Aug 1981 160 Unreleased on CD
Never Let You Go Oct 1983 -
Inside The Fire 1984 -
Fire Me Back 1990 Attic - CD unreleased in the US. Later available as Someday in other territories
Dancing With An Angel 1991 - CD not released in the United States
Love Lessons 1992 Caliber/Critique - First United States release since 1984. Released in some territories as Cherokee
For You 1993 Alpha - CD unreleased in the US
Behind The Memories Jul 1995 Pony Canyon -
Out Of The Blues 1996 Beacon - Nine songs recorded in 1975. Released in some territories as Book Of Songs
Thinkin’ About You 1998 Innerworks - Released in some territories as Letting You Go With Love
'And So Is Love 2005 Concord -

[edit] References

  1. ^ All Things Cherokee: Article - Guess Who's a Cherokee - Rita Coolidge
  2. ^ Zimmer, Dave, and Diltz, Henry (1984). Crosby Stills & Nash: The Authorized Biography (First edition), St. Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-17660-0.

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Sheena Easton
For Your Eyes Only, 1981
James Bond title artist
Octopussy (All Time High), 1983
Succeeded by
Duran Duran
A View to a Kill (song), 1985