Fontella Bass
| Fontella Bass | |
|---|---|
Fontella Bass in 1965
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Fontella Marie Bass |
| Born |
July 3, 1940 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | December 26, 2012 (aged 72) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Genres | Soul, R&B, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1961–2012 |
| Labels | Bobbin Records Chess Records |
| Associated acts | David Peaston, Mary Wells, Dionne Warwick, The Supremes, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Lester Bowie |
Fontella Marie Bass (July 3, 1940 – December 26, 2012) was an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter best known for her 1965 hit, "Rescue Me."
Fontella Bass was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of gospel singer Martha Bass (a member of the Clara Ward Singers). She was the older sister of R&B singer David Peaston. At an early age, Fontella showed great musical talent. At the age of five, she provided the piano accompaniment for her grandmother's singing at funeral services, she sang in her church's choir at six, and by the time she was nine, she had accompanied her mother on tours throughout the South and Southwest America.
Bass continued touring with her mother until the age of sixteen. As a teenager, Bass was attracted by more secular music. She began singing R&B songs at local contests and fairs while attending Soldan High School from which she graduated in 1958. At 17, she started her professional career working at the Showboat Club near Chain of Rocks, Missouri. In 1961, she auditioned on a dare for the Leon Claxton carnival show and was hired to play piano and sing in the chorus for two weeks, making $175 per week for the two weeks it was in town. She wanted to go on tour with Claxton but her mother refused and according to Bass "... she literally dragged me off the train". It was during this brief stint with Claxton that she was heard by vocalist Little Milton and his bandleader Oliver Sain who hired her to back Little Milton on piano for concerts and recording.
Bass originally only played piano with the band, but one night Milton didn't show up on time so Sain asked her to sing and she was soon given her own featured vocal spot in the show. Milton and Sain eventually split up and Bass went with Sain; he also recruited male singer Bobby McClure and the group became known as "The Oliver Sain Soul Revue featuring Fontella and Bobby McClure".
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