Here you go…more soul birthdays for the month of May.
Patricia Holt was born May 24, 1944, in Philadelphia. As Patti LaBelle, she became a star in 1963 with her first hit, “Down the Aisle,” along with her group, The Bluebelles. Patti's group shortened their name to LaBelle in the 70s and had their biggest hit in that decade with “Lady Marmalade.” Patti was singing in French, “Will you sleep with me tonight?” She claims she didn't know what the words meant at the time. Patti broke away from the group and started a solo career in 1977. Her many hits include “If Only You Knew,” “New Attitude,” and “On My Own,” a duet with Michael McDonald.
Clarence Burke, Jr. was born May 25, 1949, in Chicago. Clarence was one of the Burke siblings that made up the vocal group, The Five Stairsteps. They were discovered by Curtis Mayfield, who recorded the group for his own Windy C record label in 1966. Clarence went on to found the group the Invisible Man’s Band. Clarence died on May 26, 2013.
Gladys Knight was born May 28, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia. She was only nine years old when she started singing with a group called The Pips. Gladys appeared on television in 1952 on a program called Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour, a kind of early TV version of Star Search. The Pips had their first hit in 1961 with a song called “Every Beat of My Heart,” first recorded nine years earlier by another R&B group called The Royals.
After signing with Motown in 1966, Gladys Knight & the Pips became a major R&B group. Gladys Knight & the Pips’ many hits included “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “Neither One of Us,” “Midnight Train to Georgia,” “The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me” and “On and On.” Gladys Knight & the Pips had a total of ten Number One R&B hits between 1961 and 1987.
Listen to the segment, above.
Deeper cuts
Patti LaBelle:
“One Phone Call” (with the Bluebelles)
“What Can I Do for You?” (with LaBelle)
“You Are So Beautiful” (with Joe Cocker, live on Motown 25th Anniversary TV special on YouTube)
Clarence Burke, Jr. (Five Stairsteps):
“World of Fantasy”
“Don't Waste Your Time”
“Danger! She's a Stranger”
Gladys Knight & the Pips:
“Do You Love Me Just a Little, Honey”
“Who Is She and What Is She to You”
“The Makings of You”
