| LC control no. | n 94005537 |
|---|---|
| Descriptive conventions | rda |
| Personal name heading | Baker, LaVern |
| Variant(s) | Williams, Delores Little Miss Sharecropper Baker, Bea Baker, La Vern |
| Associated country | United States |
| Birth date | 19291111 |
| Death date | 19970310 |
| Place of birth | Chicago (Ill.) |
| Affiliation | RCA Records Columbia Records, Inc. Todd Rhodes Orchestra Atlantic Recording Corporation |
| Profession or occupation | Singers Rhythm and blues musicians |
| Found in | Her Soul on fire [SR] p1991: label (LaVern Baker) Her Saved [SR] 1961: label (La Vern Baker) Guinness enc. of pop. mus., 2nd ed. (Baker, LaVern; b. Delores Williams, 11-11-28, Chicago, Ill.; singer; known in her teens by the nicknames Little Miss Sharecropper and Bea Baker) Penguin enc. of pop. mus. (Baker, LaVern; b. 11-11-29, Chicago, Ill.; rhythm and blues singer) Feather, L.G. Enc. of jazz (Baker, La Vern; b. 1928, Chicago, Ill.; singer) Rolling stone enc. of rock & roll (Baker, LaVern; b. 11-11-29, Chicago, Ill.; R & B vocalist) Washington post, 03-12-97 obit. (LaVern Baker, 67, d. 03-10-97, New York) African American National Biography, accessed December11, 2014, via Oxford African American Studies Center database: (Baker, LaVern; Delores Williams; Bea Baker; rhythm and blues musician, jazz singer, nightclub entertainer; born 11 November 1929 in Chicago, Illinois, United States; appeared at different venues as Bea Baker; her first commercial recording was with Eddie Penigar Band for RCA Records (1949); recorded with Columbia and Okeh Records; joined Todd Rhodes Orchestra (1952) taking the name LaVern Baker, and recorded for King Records; signed on with Ahmet Ertegun and Atlantic Records (1953); the biggest hit of her career was the blues ballad "I Cried a Tear" (1958); joined Louis Armstrong's band as featured female singer; signed with Brunswick (1965); joined a USO tour of Vietnam and the Far East (1967); worked at Non-Commissioned Officers Club, Subic Bay, the Philippines (1969-1988); performed a lead role in the Broadway hit Black and Blue (1990); toured the United States and Europe (1991); suffered formidable health setbacks (1993-1994), relearned her material and started singing from a wheelchair; made a triumphant performance at the Newport Rhythm and Blues Festival (1996); awarded a Career Achievement Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation (1990); inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1991); died 10 March 1997) |
| Invalid LCCN | n 91047161 |
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