LaVern Baker

LaVern Baker is one of my three favourite female singers. Dusty Springfield and Brenda Lee are the others. LaVern was born as Delores Williams, in Chicago, on the 11th of November in 1929; into the Great Depression. She was to sing under a number of different names and record for a number of labels before finally being signed to Atlantic Records, in 1953.

However, LaVern had to wait until 1955 to have her first hit, “Tweedle Dee”, but, even then, this was promptly covered by Georgia Gibbs who was to enjoy, by far, the greater number of sales.

Still, LaVern persevered and was to become a regular entrant to the rhythm and blues charts from then until 1966. Her record, “I Cried A Tear”, even entered Billboard’s Top 10 on the pop charts, in 1958.

I particularly like her smouldering cover of Lonnie Johnson’s classic, of 1948, “Tomorrow Night”.

For more tracks from LaVern Baker refer to the suggested playlists page.

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