LaVern Baker

LaVern Baker
Baker in 1956
Background information
Birth name	Delores Evans
Also known as	Delores Williams Little Miss Sharecropper Bea Baker
Born	(1929-11-11)November 11, 1929 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	March 10, 1997(1997-03-10) (aged 67) Queens, New York, U.S.
Genres	Blues, R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer, actress
Years active	1946–1967, 1988–1991
Labels	National, Okeh, Columbia, Atlantic, London, Brunswick
Associated acts	Jackie Wilson

Delores LaVern Baker (November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an American rhythm-and-blues singer who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedle Dee" (1955), "Jim Dandy" (1956), and "I Cried a Tear" (1958).

Early life

Baker was born Delores Evans in Chicago.^[1] Some sources refer to her as Delores Williams, the name by which she was known during her early marriage to Eugene Williams.^[2][3]

Career

Baker began singing in Chicago clubs such as the Club DeLisa around 1946, often billed as Little Miss Sharecropper,^[4] 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 was billed as LaVern Baker when she sang with Todd Rhodes and his band in 1952.^[2]

In 1953 she signed with Atlantic Records as a solo artist, her first release being "Soul on Fire". 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. Georgia Gibbs recorded a note-for-note cover of the song, which reached number 1; subsequently Baker made an unsuccessful attempt to sue her and petitioned Congress to consider such covers copyright violations.^[5][6]

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" (number 3 R&B), "Play It Fair" (number 2 R&B), and "Still" (number 4 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.^[7] Further 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 addition to singing, she did some work with Ed Sullivan^[8] 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. She then left Atlantic for Brunswick Records, for which 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 considered inappropriate for airplay at that time or even today. Three versions were recorded, one of which is the version with the raunchy lyrics.^[9]

Baker and the comedian Slappy White were married in 1959.^[3] After the couple was 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 on as the entertainment director at the Marine Corps Staff NCO club there. She remained there for 22 years, returning to the United States after the base was closed in 1988.^[10]

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. 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".^[11]

In 1990, she made her Broadway debut, replacing Ruth Brown as the star of the hit musical Black and Blue.^[10] In 1991, Rhino Records released a new album, Live in Hollywood, recorded at the Hollywood Roosevelt Cinegrill, and a compilation of her greatest Atlantic hits, Soul on Fire. In 1992, she recorded a well-received studio album, Woke Up This Morning, for DRG Records.^[10] She continued performing after both legs were amputated because of complications due to diabetes in 1994.^[10] Baker 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.^[12]

In 1990 Baker was among the first eight recipients of the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. In 1991, she 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 number 343 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Death

Baker died of cardiovascular disease on March 10, 1997, at the age of 67. She was buried in an unmarked plot in Maple Grove Cemetery, in Kew Gardens, New York. Local historians raised funds for a headstone, which was erected on May 4, 2008.^[13]

Discography

Singles

LaVern (1956)

LaVern Baker (1957)

LaVern Baker Sings Bessie Smith (1958)

Precious Memories: LaVern Baker Sings Gospel (1959)

Saved (1961)

See See Rider (1963)

Let Me Belong to You (1970)

References

External links

• "LaVern Baker". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 
  
• LaVern Baker at AllMovie
• Biography of Lavern Baker
• Discography of Lavern Baker