Dusty Springfield (Born Mary O’Brien)
April 16, 1939 – March 2, 1999
Dusty Springfield was one of Britain’s most popular female singers of the ’60s. What endeared her to fans was the sensuality she added to what was being defined as “white soul.” Over the course of her early career, Springfield scored hits with such songs as “I Only Want To Be With You,” “Wishin’ and Hopin,'” the Academy Award winning, “The Look of Love,” and her most iconic hit, “Son of a Preacher Man.” In 1969, Springfield, in a move she felt would better legitimize her talent, went to Nashville to work with some of the city’s best session players. What they came up with, was Dusty in Memphis, arguably one of popular music’s greatest albums. It earned her a Grammy nomination as well as a home in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Springfield all but disappeared from the public eye for nearly two decades until, in 1987, her career was resurrected by of all acts, the Pet Shop Boys. Their collaboration on “What Have I Done To Deserve This?” shot to #2 on both the U.K. and U.S. charts and was one of the era’s most popular videos on MTV. Her career got another boost in 1994, when “Son of a Preacher Man” was prominently featured in Quentin Tarantino’s landmark film, Pulp Fiction. That same year however, Springfield was diagnosed with breast cancer, but she continued to work until her final live performance in December of 1995. On March 2, 1999, 59-year-old Dusty Springfield died as a result of the cancer.
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