Posted on 12/27/2012 1:53:23 PM PST by Da Bilge Troll
Fontella Bass, the St. Louis-born gospel and R&B singer famous for her 1965 hit “Rescue Me,” died Wednesday night.
She was 72 and had suffered a heart attack on Dec. 2, her family said this morning.
Ms. Bass was taught by her mother, gospel singer Martha Bass.
Ms. Bass graduated from Soldan High School and started her professional career at 17 at the Showboat Club near Chain of Rocks, Mo.
She got a contract with Chess Records and sang duets with Bobby McClure, including “Don't Mess Up a Good Thing.”
She sang and co-wrote “Rescue Me,” which sold more than a million copies.
She lived in Florissant and sang worldwide. She recorded her last album, “Travellin',” in 2001. She toured for a time with her brother, David Peaston, who died in February of complications from diabetes at age 54.
Ms. Bass died at Westchester House in Chesterfield. Services are pending.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
Very well produced and sung.
She also sang “Our Day Will Come,’ and ‘Brown Eyed Handsome Man.’ I liked her music. RIP
She "Rescued Me" many times.
“I am lonely and I’m blue
I need you and your love, too.....”
The greatest Motown imitation ever!
No synthesizers, no pitch correction, no software, you can hear the studio ambience, and perfect horn arrangements, how did they manage to do that?
I guess that you knew Bernie Dittman died in 2006.
Rest in Peace.
Luv’d that song and couple others.
I loved her, a great writer, singer and performer.
Great Motown sound from back in the day.
Actually, the label was based in Chicago, not Detroit. It’s pseudo-Motown.
RIP.
She had a great sound! I did not know her background but we were from the same area of St Louis. My husband graduated Soldan in Jan. 1957, sounds like she might have been a classmate.
Thanks for posting. RIP, Miss Bass and thanks for providing us with a memorable and enjoyable song.
BTW, cool signature quote Publius.
Always loved that song!
Here’s her breakthrough performance of “Rescue Me” on “Shindig!” in black and white, first airing November 6, 1965:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJmz7UJK_CY
She was a very talented woman, her vocals at least were sung live. Dig that sixties black and white houndstooth, she looks good!
She’ll be missed.
Fontella Bass dies; singer of "Rescue Me" was a hit in U.S. and a bigger hit in Europe
Da Bilge Troll? LOL
Great nic.
Thanks for the article.
Something tells me “Our Day Will Come” was sung by Ruby and the Romantics.....
Just weird that people of any color weren’t allowed to do certain things or enter many establishments.
I can’t imagine that world and am glad it’s dead.
Just weird that people of any color weren’t allowed to do certain things or enter many establishments.
I can’t imagine that world and am glad it’s dead.
Here’s another good use of the song, playing it as a backdrop to scenes of Disney princesses being rescued by their princes-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yssGWHBvcCY
I figure the libs and feminazis will have this song criminalized eventually for being “anti-feminist” even though it just emphasizes a fact of nature, i.e., women like a strong man who can rescue them.
Imagine:
“Mother, I would like you to meet my new girlfriend,
Fontilla Bass.”
Unforgetable.
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