Odessa Harris
| Odessa Harris | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Dessie Mae Williams |
| Born |
June 8, 1936 West Helena, Arkansas, United States |
| Died |
August 18, 2007 (aged 71) Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Genres | Blues, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1950s–2007 |
| Labels | Capitol, Uptown, Eastlawn |
Dessie Mae Williams, known professionally as Odessa Harris (June 8, 1936 – August 18, 2007) was an American blues and jazz singer.[1]
In a lengthy career, Harris toured for two years with B.B. King, who gave her her stage name, recorded for Capitol Records, and returned to recording in 2003 after a three decade break to release her debut album.
Life and career
Dessie Mae Williams was born in West Helena, Arkansas, United States.[1][2] She began singing in the church choir at her local Baptist church by the age of ten. After performing at several gambling houses, she gained a spot on the radio program, King Biscuit Time, at the age of 14 and then toured with Robert Nighthawk.[3] This led to work with a touring carnival show between 1949 and 1953,[4] before she relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, in the late 1950s, singing in local nightclubs.[2] In the summer of 1959, she and several of her friends attended a concert given by B.B. King, where she was urged by the audience to sing a few numbers on stage with King. His proclamation to her afterwards was "if you want a job, the bus leaves in the morning."[3] She duly obliged and toured with King until 1961; it was King who named her Odessa Harris.[2]
After leaving King's entourage, Harris engaged new management and moved to Miami, Florida. A chance meeting in 1962 led Harris to record four tracks for Capitol Records under Clive Davis' guidance.[2] However the label was actively promoting the careers of Dinah Washington and Nancy Wilson at the time, and her work floundered without any real support.[3] In 1965, she recorded two singles for Uptown Records, including a version of the Buddy Johnson penned "Since I Fell for You".[5] She moved on again eventually relocating to Detroit, Michigan, in 1972.[2] Harris found freelance vocal work in the Midwest and sang on a regular basis with the former B.B. King drummer, Sonny Freeman.[1] Upon Freeman's death in the late 1980s, Harris decided to retire from performing.[3]
Harris lived in relative obscurity for a decade as a member of a local Buddhist community, until her fellow Detroiter, Buddhist and trumpeter Marcus Belgrave,[1] finally convinced her in 2000 to return to performing. She released The Easy Life, her first recording in 38 years, on Eastlawn Records (2003).[3] The Easy Life had a mixture of mid-tempo swing numbers including "As if You Didn't Know," which featured Belgrave; slow funk on the track "Pick up the Pieces," and Latin rhythms in "Road Warrior." Her backing also included the drumming work of R.J. Spangler.[6] Now under managerial guidance from Spangler, in early 2007 she toured Northwestern Michigan, doing well-received jazz concerts.[4]
Having suffered from emphysema and cancer[1] in her later years, Harris died from heart failure in Detroit on August 18, 2007.[2]
Discography
Singles
| A-side | B-side | Record label | Year of release |
|---|---|---|---|
| "A Rockin' Good Way" | "Nothing in the World" | Capitol Records | 1962 |
| "That's a Rockin' Good Way" | "I Wonder What's Come Over You" | Capitol Records | 1962 |
| "Nothing in the World" | "I'll Never Kiss You Goodbye" | Capitol Records | 1962 |
| "The Color of His Love is Blue" | "Driving Wheels" | Uptown Records | 1965 |
| "Since I Fell for You" | "You're What I Need" | Uptown Records | 1965 |
Albums
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Easy Life | Eastlawn Records |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Odessa Harris will be remembered for her life in song". PressReader.com. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Matt Collar. "Odessa Harris | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Eastlawn Records Artists : Odessa Harris". Eastlawn Records. 1936-06-08. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
- 1 2 "Odessa Harris". Groups.google.com. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
- 1 2 "Discographie UPTOWN Records". Monola.net. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
- 1 2 Matt Collar. "The Easy Life - Odessa Harris | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
- ↑ "Odessa Harris Discography". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-11-01.