Died On This Date (March 21, 2011) Loleatta Holloway / Soul and Disco Star

Loleatta Holloway
November 5, 1946 – March 21, 2011

Loleatta Holloway was a beloved soul and disco singer who, over the course of a career that spanned more than 40 years, landed numerous singles on the pop, R&B and dance charts.  Her hits included such dance floor fillers as “Love Sensation” and “Hit and Run,” as well as the soulful ballad, “Cry To Me.”  But it might have been her powerful vocal parts (sampled) in Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch’s 1991 #1 smash “Good Vibrations”  that she is most often associated with.  The song would signal a comeback for Holloway and help propel Marky Mark (aka Mark Wahlberg) to an eventual world-class film career.   It was Holloway’s original recording of “Love Sensation” that is predominantly featured on the record.  Holloway began her career as a Gospel singer in Chicago, at one time even singing with the great Albertina Walker.  In the ’70s she began making soul records and by the end of the decade she was delivering disco hits.  That continued until disco took a back seat to new wave and hair metal during the mid to late ’80s.  And then as hip-hop and sampling took hold in the ’90s, Holloway was back in vogue.  She continued recording and performing live well into the 2000s.  On March 21, 2011 Loleatta Holloway passed away following a brief illness.  She was 64.



Died On This Date (October 8, 2010) Albertina Walker / The Queen Of Gospel

Albertina Walker
August 29, 1929 – October 8, 2010

Albertina Walker was a beloved Gospel singer who has been rightfully called the “Queen of Gospel.”  Walker began singing while still a child in Chicago, Illinois, driven by the influence of future friend and mentor, the great Mahalia Jackson.   It was during the early ’50s that she formed her first group, the Caravans, which counted such greats as Shirley Caesar, James Cleveland, and Loleatta Holloway as members.   By the ’70s, Walker was working as a solo act, recording for such respected labels as Savoy and A&M Records.  Over the course of her career, she has won three Dove awards and one Grammy, sold over 500,000 of five separate albums, and sang for two U.S. Presidents as well as Nelson Mandela.  Albertina Walker was 81 when she passed away on October 8, 2010.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Albertina Walker