Odessa Harris
Odessa Harris | |
---|---|
Birth name | Dessie Mae Williams |
Born | West Helena, Arkansas, United States | June 8, 1936
Died | August 18, 2007 Detroit, Michigan, United States | (aged 71)
Genres | Blues, jazz |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Years active | 1950s–2007 |
Labels | Capitol, Uptown, Eastlawn |
Dessie Mae Williams, known professionally as Odessa Harris (June 8, 1936 – August 18, 2007) was an American blues and jazz singer.[1]
In a lengthy career, Harris toured for two years with B.B. King, who gave her her stage name; recorded for Capitol Records; and in 1993 returned to recording after a three-decade break to release her debut album.
Life and career
Williams was born in West Helena, Arkansas.[1][2] She began singing in the church choir at her local Baptist church by the age of ten. After performing at several gambling houses, she gained a spot on the radio program King Biscuit Time at the age of 14 and then toured with Robert Nighthawk.[3] This led to work with a touring carnival show between 1949 and 1953,[4] before she relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, in the late 1950s, where she sang in local nightclubs.[2] In the summer of 1959, she and several of her friends attended a concert by B.B. King, where she was urged by the audience to sing a few numbers on stage with King. He told her afterwards, "if you want a job, the bus leaves in the morning."[3] She boarded the bus and toured with King until 1961; it was King who gave her the name Odessa Harris.[2]
After leaving King's entourage, Harris engaged new management and moved to Miami, Florida. A chance meeting in 1962 led her to record four tracks for Capitol Records under the guidance of Clive Davis.[2] However, the label was actively promoting the careers of Dinah Washington and Nancy Wilson at the time, and Harris's work floundered without any real support.[3] In 1965, she recorded two singles for Uptown Records, including a version "Since I Fell for You", written by Buddy Johnson.[5] She moved again, eventually settling in Detroit, Michigan, in 1972.[2] Harris found freelance vocal work in the Midwest and regularly sang with Sonny Freeman, who was formerly the drummer for B.B. King.[1] Upon Freeman's death in the late 1980s, Harris retired from performing.[3]
Harris lived in relative obscurity for a decade as a member of a local Buddhist community, until her fellow Detroiter and Buddhist, the trumpeter Marcus Belgrave,[1] persuaded her to return to performing in 2000. Her album The Easy Life, her first recording in 38 years, was released by Eastlawn Records in 2003.[3] The Easy Life had a mixture of mid-tempo swing numbers including "As if You Didn't Know," which featured Belgrave; slow funk on the track "Pick up the Pieces," and Latin rhythms in "Road Warrior." The backing musicians included the drummer R. J. Spangler.[6] Under managerial guidance from Spangler, in early 2007 she toured northwestern Michigan, presenting well-received jazz concerts.[4]
Harris suffered from emphysema and cancer[1] in her later years. She died of heart failure in Detroit on August 18, 2007.[2]
Discography
Singles
A-side | B-side | Record label | Year of release |
---|---|---|---|
"A Rockin' Good Way" | "Nothing in the World" | Capitol Records | 1962 |
"That's a Rockin' Good Way" | "I Wonder What's Come Over You" | Capitol Records | 1962 |
"Nothing in the World" | "I'll Never Kiss You Goodbye" | Capitol Records | 1962 |
"The Color of His Love is Blue" | "Driving Wheels" | Uptown Records | 1965 |
"Since I Fell for You" | "You're What I Need" | Uptown Records | 1965 |
Albums
Year | Title | Record label |
---|---|---|
2003 | The Easy Life | Eastlawn Records |
References
- ^ a b c d e "Odessa Harris Will Be Remembered for Her Life in Song". PressReader.com. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
- ^ a b c d e f Matt Collar, Matt. "Odessa Harris: Biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
- ^ a b c d e "Eastlawn Records Artists: Odessa Harris". EastlawnRecords.com. 1936-06-08. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
- ^ a b "Odessa Harris". Groups.google.com. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
- ^ a b "Discographie Uptown Records". Monola.net. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
- ^ a b Collar, Matt. "Odessa Harris, The Easy Life: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
- ^ "Odessa Harris Discography". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
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