Jean King (singer)
Jean King | |
|---|---|
 King as part ofThe Blossomsin 1966 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jean Louise King |
| Born | October 12, 1938[1][2] Chicago,Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 28, 1983(aged 44)[1] Las Vegas,Nevada, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1962–1983 |
| Formerly of | The Blossoms |
| Spouses | Foster Charles Johnson
(m.1961, divorced)James Roy Richardson
(m.1967;div.1976)Richard Waters
(m.1977;div.1980)Larry Richstein (m.1980) |
| Children | 3 |
Jean Louise King(October 12, 1938 – March 28, 1983) was an American singer who was a member of the girl groupthe Blossomsfrom 1964 until her death.
Biography
[edit]Born inChicago,Illinois,King was raised inWashington Terrace, Utah.[2]She was aRoman Catholic.[3]She sung in the choir and attendedWeber High School.[2]She was importantly influenced by glee clubs, talent shows, and formal opera studies. In 1956, she majored in music atUniversity of Southern California,after receiving a scholarship.[2][4]In May 1963, King performed inRay Charles' backing groupthe Raelettesduring his shows inParis,and had her own solo act in the shows during that same period, accomped by Charles' orchestra.[5]In July that same year, she backedDel Shannonon his song "Red Rubber Ball" in the vocal chorus. The following year, she joinedthe Blossomsthrough a connection withH. B. Barnum,replacing Gracia Nitzsche.[6]She replaced Nitzsche, who was white, after the group received a call byShindig!to appear on the show after Nitzsche left because Shindig did not want a mixed group on the show.[7]However, they continued to perform on the show from 1964 until 1966.[8]During her tenure in the group, she had a stint as a solo artist, recording forHanna-Barberasubsidiary Hanna-Barbera Records, and King released her debut and only studio album, "Sings for the In-Crowd" in May 1966.[2][4]Throughout her tenure with the Blossoms, she sung backup forElvis Presley,Tom Jones,Nancy Sinatra,andBill Medley.[9]By 1974, after Love left following a backstage incident that caused the Blossoms to be fired as background singers byDionne Warwick,and King's collapse after taking drugs, King and James continued the Blossoms, performing in Las Vegas as background singers with Alex Brown, Stephanie Spruill, and Cynthia Woodward as replacements for Love. They released a single, "A.P.B." in 1977, on MAM Records.[10]
In her later years, she married soundman Larry Richstein (1945–2012) and moved toWashington.[11]On March 28, 1983, King suffered a heart attack and died in Las Vegas at the age of 44 from heart surgery complications.[2]
Discography
[edit]- Albums
- Sings for the In-Crowd(1966, Hanna-Barbera Records)
- Singles
- Something Happens to Me(1965, Hanna-Barbera Records)
- Don't Say Goodbye(1966, Hanna-Barbera Records)
- Watermelon Man(1966, Hanna-Barbera Records)
References
[edit]- ^ab"The Blossoms Page".Soulwalking.co.uk.RetrievedMarch 30,2024.
- ^abcdefDurrant, Shelbie."Jean King – Biography".Utahswomenhistory.org.Archivedfrom the original on January 17, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 17,2024.
- ^Warwick, Jacqueline (July 5, 2017).Musicological Identities: Essays in Honor of Susan McClary.Taylor & Francis.ISBN9781351556743.
- ^abMoore, Mark A. (March 3, 2016).The Jan & Dean Record: A Chronology of Studio Sessions, Live Performances and Chart Positions.McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers.ISBN9780786498123.
- ^Stumpel, Bob (February 6, 2011)."Rare Photos of the Ray Charles Orchestra & the Raelettes in Paris (1963)".raycharles.cydstumpel.nl.
- ^Love, Darlene (1998).My Name Is Love.HarperCollins.ISBN0688156576.
- ^Flam, Laura; Liebowitz, Emily Sieu (September 5, 2023).But Will You Love Me Tomorrow?: An Oral History of the '60s Girl Groups.Hachette Books.ISBN9780306829796.
- ^Mahon, Maureen (October 9, 2020).Black Diamond Queens: African American Women and Rock and Roll.Duke University Press.ISBN978-1-4780-1277-1.
- ^Love, Darlene; Hoerburger, Rob (1998).My Name is Love: The Darlene Love Story(1st ed.). New York, NY: William Morrow and Co.ISBN9780688156572.OCLC39189821.
- ^"The Ladies of Philles Records on Facebook".Facebook.[user-generated source][self-published]
- ^"Larry Richstein Obituary".Legacy.com.
External links
[edit]- Jean King CreditsonAllMusic
- Jean Kingdiscography atDiscogs