Esther Phillips
Singer who moved from R&B to jazz, blues, and soul.
Esther Phillips was an American singer known for her R&B vocals, who rose to prominence in 1950 under the moniker Little Esther. She scored several major R&B hits that year and later recorded in pop, jazz, blues, soul, and country genres. Phillips received four Grammy nominations, including for her 1973 album From a Whisper to a Scream and for the album featuring her 1975 disco hit 'What a Diff'rence a Day Makes.'
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Esther Mae Jones
- Alias
- Little Esther Phillips
- Born
- 23 December 1935
- Birthplace
- Galveston, Texas, US
- Died
- 7 August 1984
- Place of death
- Carson, California, US
- Genre
- R&B
- blues
- pop
- country
- jazz
- soul
- Occupation
- Vocalist
Facts from the source article.
Biography
Esther Phillips was born Esther Mae Jones in Galveston, Texas, to Arthur Jones and Lucille Washington. Her parents split when she was a teenager, and she split her time between her father in Houston and her mother in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. She grew up singing in church and was hesitant to join a talent show at a local blues club, but her sister pushed her into it. At just 14, she won the amateur contest in 1949 at the Barrelhouse Club, which was owned by Johnny Otis. Otis was so taken with her that he recorded her for Modern Records and put her in his traveling show, the California Rhythm and Blues Caravan, under the name Little Esther. She later chose the stage surname Phillips, said to be inspired by a gas station sign. Her first hit, "Double Crossing Blues," with the Johnny Otis Quintette and the Robins, hit number 1 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1950. That same year, she scored two more number 1s with "Mistrusting Blues" and "Cupid's Boogie," plus four other Top 10 records. She left Otis and Savoy at the end of 1950 to sign with Federal Records, but out of more than thirty songs she cut for them, only "Ring-a-Ding-Doo" charted, reaching number 8 in 1952. By the mid-1950s, she was hooked on heroin. In 1954, she moved back to Houston to live with her father and recover, playing small clubs in the South and checking into hospitals in Lexington, Kentucky, for addiction treatment. In 1962, Kenny Rogers heard her sing at a Houston club and helped her land a contract with Lenox Records, run by his brother Lelan.
Discography
Phillips recorded for Federal Records from 1951 to 1953. In 1951 she released 'The Deacon Moves In' with the Dominoes, 'I'm a Bad, Bad Girl,' 'Lookin' for a Man to Satisfy My Soul' with the Dominoes, and 'Cryin' and Singin' the Blues.' In 1952 she issued 'Ring-a-Ding-Doo' with Bobby Nunn, 'Summertime,' 'Better Beware,' 'Aged and Mellow,' 'Ramblin' Blues,' and 'Mainliner' with 4 Jacks. In 1953 she released 'Last Laugh Blues' with Little Willie Littlefield, 'Turn The Lamp Down Low' with Little Willie Littlefield, 'You Took My Love Too Fast' with Bobby Nunn, 'Hound Dog,' and 'Cherry Wine.' All were released on 45- and 78-rpm records.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Esther Phillips born?
Esther Phillips was born on 23 December 1935 in Galveston, Texas, US.
When did Esther Phillips die?
Esther Phillips died on 7 August 1984 in Carson, California, US.
What did Esther Phillips do?
Esther Phillips was a Vocalist.
When was Esther Phillips active?
Esther Phillips was active from 1949 to 1984.
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