Barbara Lewis
Barbara Lewis (born February 9, 1943 in Salem , Michigan , USA ) is an African-American singer who mainly interpreted rhythm and blues (R&B).
Musical career
Barbara Lewis grew up in her native Salem, west of Detroit, in a musical family. In nearby South Lyon, she was the only black woman to attend high school . She had already started composing songs at the age of nine and sang her first records as a teenager. Its first producer was Ollie McLaughlin, a black radio disc jockey. Lewis had his first local success with the self-written track My Heart Do Dat Da , which was recorded in 1961 by the Detroit record company Karen.
McLaughlin saw even more potential in the song and achieved that it was released for the second time under the slightly modified title My Heart Went Do Dat Da on the US-wide label Atlantic Records . Although the title did not make it into the US hit lists in the second attempt, Atlantic kept the Lewis / McLaughlin team under contract. In 1962, with the third Atlantic record, the desired success was achieved. The title, again written by Lewis, Hello Stranger was inducted into the R&B charts and the Hot 100 by Billboard magazine , where it achieved top ratings 1 and 3, respectively. Until 1967 Lewis was able to place himself regularly in the US hit lists. With the 1965 titles Baby I'm Yours (Hot 100 11th / R&B 5th) and Make Me Your Baby (11th / 9th), she came again to the top ranks. McLaughlin remained her producer throughout her recording career, including when her record deal with Atlantic expired in 1970. The last joint single appeared in 1972 with the titles Rock & Roll Lullaby and I'm So Thankful on Reprise Records .
In 1974 Lewis retired from the music business. She shuttled between her own jewelry store and a security company without anyone recognizing her as the once successful singer. Although she assured in interviews that she did not mourn her previous life, she began to reactivate old contacts in 1993 and for several years mainly appeared in oldie shows. In 1999 she received the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation . In 2008 she finally withdrew from show business.
Discography
Albums
| title | Catalog no. | published |
|---|---|---|
| Hello Stranger | Atlantic 8086 | 7.1963 |
| Snap your fingers | Atlantic 8090 | 1.1964 |
| Baby, I'm Yours | Atlantic 8110 | 8.1965 |
| It's magic | Atlantic 8118 | 4.1966 |
| Workin 'on a Groovy Thing | Atlantic 8173 | 6.1968 |
| The Many Grooves of Barbara | Enterprise 1006 | 1970 |
| The Best of Barbara Lewis | Atlantic 8268 | 4.1971 |
| Golden Classics | Collectables 5104 | 1988 |
Singles
| From page | Catalog no. | published |
|---|---|---|
| Karen | ||
| My Heart Do Dat Da / The Longest Night of the Year | 313 | 1961 |
| Atlantic | ||
| My Heart Went Do Dat Da / The Longest Night of the Year | 2141 | 4.1962 |
| My Mama Told Me / Gonna Love You Till the End of Time | 2159 | 8.1962 |
| Hello Stranger / Think a Little Sugar | 2184 | 3.1963 |
| Straighten Up Your Heart / If You Love Her | 2200 | 7.1963 |
| Puppy Love / Snap Your Fingers | 2214 | 11.1963 |
| Someday We're Gonna Love Again / Spend a Little Time | 2227 | 5.1964 |
| Pushin 'a Good Thing too Far / Come Home | 2255 | 10.1964 |
| Baby I'm Yours / I Say Love | 2283 | 3.1965 |
| Make Me Your Baby / Love to Be Loved | 2300 | 8.1965 |
| Don't Forget About Me / It's Magic | 2316 | 1.1966 |
| Make Me Belong to You / Girls Need Loving Care | 2346 | 7.1966 |
| Baby What Do You Want Me to Do / I Remember the Feeling | 2361 | 10.1966 |
| I'll Make Him Love Me / Love Makes The World Go Round | 2400 | 4.1967 |
| Fool Fool Fool (Look In the Mirror) / Only All the Time | 2413 | 6.1967 |
| Sho-Nuff (It's Got to Be Your Love) / Thankful For What I Got | 2482 | 2.1968 |
| I'll Keep Believing / On Bended Knees | 2514 | 5.1968 |
| You're A Dream Maker / I'm All You've Got | 2550 | 8.1968 |
| Enterprise | ||
| Just The Way You Are Today / You Made Me a Woman | 9012 | 1969 |
| Ask The Lonely / Why Did It Take You So Long? | 9027 | 11.1970 |
| That's The Way I Like It (I Like It That Way) / Anyway | 9029 | 1970 |
| Recapitulation | ||
| Rock & Roll Lullaby / I'm So Thankful | 1146 | 1972 |
Chart placements
Albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
R&B
|
|||
| 1965 | Baby, I'm Yours |
US118 (7 weeks) US |
R&B7 (5 weeks) R&B |
|
| 1970 | The Many Grooves of Barbara Lewis | - |
R&B46 (4 weeks) R&B |
|
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
R&B
|
|||
| 1963 | Hello Stranger |
US3 (14 weeks) US |
R&B1 (14 weeks) R&B |
|
| Straighten Up Your Heart |
US43 (7 weeks) US |
- | ||
| Snap your fingers |
US71 (5 weeks) US |
R&B21 (8 weeks) R&B |
||
| 1964 | Puppy love |
US38 (12 weeks) US |
R&B14 (12 weeks) R&B |
|
| Someday We're Gonna Love Again | - |
R&B34 (3 weeks) R&B |
||
| Spend a little time | - |
R&B26 (6 weeks) R&B |
||
| Pushin 'a Good Thing Too Far | - |
R&B47 (3 weeks) R&B |
||
| 1965 | Baby I'm Yours |
US11 (14 weeks) US |
R&B5 (17 weeks) R&B |
|
| Make me your baby |
US11 (12 weeks) US |
R&B9 (10 weeks) R&B |
||
| 1966 | Don't Forget About Me |
US91 (3 weeks) US |
- | |
| Make Me Belong to You |
US28 (8 weeks) US |
R&B36 (5 weeks) R&B |
||
| Baby, What Do You Want Me to Do |
US74 (6 weeks) US |
- | ||
| 1967 | I'll Make Him Love Me |
US72 (5 weeks) US |
- | |
Web links
- Biography at www.pophistorydig.com
- Discography at www.45cat.com
- Discography at www.discogs.com
- Chart positions at www.musicvf.com
swell
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lewis, Barbara |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American rhythm and blues singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 9, 1943 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Salem , Michigan |