| Lorraine Ellison | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Marybelle Luraine Ellison |
| Born | March 17, 1931 Philadelphia, United States |
| Died | January 31, 1983 (aged 51)[1] |
| Genres | Soul, R&B |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1964–1976 |
| Labels | Mercury Records Warner Bros. Records Loma Records |
Lorraine Ellison (March 17, 1931 – January 31, 1983)[1] was an American soul singer, best known for her recording of the song "Stay with Me"[2] (sometimes known as "Stay With Me Baby") in 1966.
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Born Marybelle Luraine Ellison,[3] in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ellison originally sang with two gospel groups, the Ellison Singers (who recorded for Sharp/Savoy in 1962) and the Golden Chords (who recorded for CBS in 1963), before moving to R&B in 1964. Her first chart entry was "I Dig You Baby" in 1965[4] on Mercury Records, which reached #22 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart chart.
She signed with Warner Bros. Records, and in 1966 recorded "Stay with Me" at a last minute booking, following a studio cancellation by Frank Sinatra.[5] "Stay with Me" reached number 11 in the U.S. Billboard R&B chart and number 64 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was written and produced by Jerry Ragovoy. Later releases were on the subsidiary soul music record label, Loma.[6] Her follow-up single was "Heart Be Still" a minor hit in 1967.[7] Ellison also recorded "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)", a song later covered to more success by Janis Joplin.[6]
Ellison composed many of her own songs (solo and with manager Sam Bell) and had her own compositions recorded by several other artists, including Jerry Butler, Garnet Mimms, Howard Tate and Dee Dee Warwick.
Twice-married and using the surname Gonzalez-Keys, Lorraine Ellison gave up the music business in order to take care of her mother, before her death in January 1983 from ovarian cancer at the age of 51.[8]