Mickey Champion
Mickey Champion (born April 9, 1925 in Lake Charles , Louisiana , † November 24, 2014 in Los Angeles , California ) was an American singer of rhythm and blues and West Coast blues .
Life
Champion rose to prominence in the Los Angeles R&B scene in the early 1940s when she used her deep voice to sing both jump blues numbers and Dinah Washington- style ballads . In 1950 she brought Johnny Otis to replace Esther Phillips on his touring show. She then aspired to a solo career and worked with musicians such as Red Callender , Chico Hamilton , Ben Webster , Jimmy Witherspoon , T-Bone Walker and Roy Milton ("RM Blues"), whom she married in the mid-1950s. She recorded with Milton in 1955 for Dootone Records ("I'm a Woman") and King Records ("You're Gonna Suffer"). After she had the opportunity to make a few recordings in the early 1960s, she was forgotten in the following years and worked as a cook in public schools. It wasn't until 2000 that she recorded an album under her own name, I Am Your Living Legend! , followed by What You Want (2003) on Tondef Records. Her life was portrayed in the documentary Champion Blues ; In 2008 Ace Records re-released their singles from the 1950s and 1960s.
Discography
- Bam-A-Lam - The R&B Recordings: 1950–1962 (Ace, 2008)
Web links
- Mickey Champion at Allmusic (English)
- Mickey Champion at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Obituary in Los Angeles Times
- ↑ Swing Gals
- ↑ Tom Lord : The Jazz Discography (online, accessed November 12, 2014)
- ↑ Champion Blues
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Champion, Mickey |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American R&B musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 9, 1925 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lake Charles , Louisiana |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 24, 2014 |
| Place of death | Los Angeles , California |