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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZBASS, Fontella(b 3 July 1940, St Louis MO; d there 26 December 2012) Singer, pianist, organist. A daughter of one of the Clara Ward Singers,m she made her first public appearance late '50s with a St Louis Gospel-Blues Show. Spotted by soul singer Little Milton, she joined his band early '60s, signed with Chess/Checker: two duet hits with Bobby McClure and five solo hits '65-6 in R&B chart almost all also made pop Hot 100: 'Don't Mess Up A Good Thing' with McClure and her own 'Rescue Me' were both top five (McClure b 21 April 1942, Chicago; d 13 November 1992, Los Angeles: his solo hit 'Peak Of Love' also made the Hot 100). Trombonist Joseph Bowie was Bass's music director; she married his brother trumpeter Lester Bowie, and performed with the Art Ensemble of Chicago, including exciting singing on 'Thème de Yoyo' from film soundtrack Les Stances à Sophie '70 (from Pathé in France, on a Nessa LP in the USA, later on other labels on CD); also with them on a Prestige album '72; she sang back-up on the title cut of Lester's The Great Pretender '81 on ECM. She also sang with the World Saxophone Quartet and David Murray in the 1970s and 1980s, and the Cinematic Orchestra in the 2000s. With a wonderful voice which she used without screaming, unlike a lot of today's divas, her R&B/pop success deserves to be remembered. Her 'Rescue Me' was said to be Chess's first million-seller since the glory days of Chuck Berry; some sources credited her with co-writing it. |