Gladys Horton
| Gladys Horton | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gladys Catherine Horton |
| Born |
May 30, 1945 or May 30, 1944 Gainesville, Florida, United States |
| Died | January 26, 2011 (aged 65) or (aged 66) Sherman Oaks, California, United States |
| Genres | Rhythm and blues, rock and roll, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, dancer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1960–2009 |
| Labels | Tamla, Motown |
| Associated acts | The Marvelettes, The Casinyets, The Marvels, The Darnells |
Gladys Catherine Horton (May 30, 1945 – January 26, 2011) (various sources cite her year of birth as 1944) was an American R&B and pop singer, famous for being the founder and lead singer of the popular Motown all-female vocal group The Marvelettes.
Born in Gainesville, Florida, she was raised in the western Detroit suburb of Inkster by foster parents. By the time of her high school years at Inkster High School on Middlebelt Road, Gladys had taken a strong interest in singing, joining the high school glee club. In 1960 Horton formed a group with her former highschool glee club members Georgeanna Tillman, Katherine Anderson and Juanita Cowart. She also invited Georgia Dobbins to join her new group.
Formerly calling themselves The Casinyets (can't sing yet), the group eventually auditioned for Motown after a talent contest, and while the audition was successful, the group was requested to return to Hitsville with an original song. After member Georgia Dobbins co-created the song "Please Mr. Postman", Dobbins suddenly left the group after her father forbade her to be in nightclubs. Dobbins, who was also the group's original lead singer, gave Horton the spotlight to be the lead vocalist, a spot Horton was not comfortable with in the beginning. The group changed their name to the Marvelettes shortly after Motown signed the act and released "Please Mr. Postman" in the summer of 1960 when Horton was reportedly just fifteen years old.
The single eventually hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 – becoming Motown's first No. 1 Pop hit – and turning the group into instant Motown stars. Horton would later sing lead on Marvelettes' classics such as "Playboy", "Beechwood 4-5789" and "Too Many Fish in the Sea". Horton's position as lead vocalist ended in 1965 with Wanda Young, who had replaced Dobbins, taking over from then on as lead vocalist. Horton left the group in 1967 and was replaced by Cleveland, Ohio vocalist Anne Bogan.
...
Wikipedia