Barbara Acklin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Barbara Acklin
Acklin in a promotional photo by Brunswick Records, 1970
Background information
Birth name	Barbara Jean Acklin
Also known as	Barbara Allen
Born	(1943-02-28)February 28, 1943 Oakland, California, U.S.
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	November 27, 1998(1998-11-27) (aged 55) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Genres	R&B soul
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	c.1961–1998
Labels	St Lawrence Chess Brunswick Chi-Sound Capitol

Barbara Jean Acklin (born February 28, 1943 – died November 27, 1998) was an American soul singer and songwriter. She was very successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her biggest hit song as a singer was "Love Makes a Woman" in 1968. As a songwriter, she is famous for helping to write "Have You Seen Her" in 1971. This song sold millions of copies and she wrote it with Eugene Record, who was the lead singer of the band Chi-Lites.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Barbara Acklin was born in Oakland, California. Her family moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1948 when she was five years old. She loved to sing from a young age. By the time she was 11, she sang regularly as a solo artist at the New Zion Baptist Church. As a teenager, she started singing at nightclubs in Chicago.

After finishing high school at Dunbar Vocational High School, she worked as a secretary at St. Lawrence Records. Her first song was released on a smaller record label called Special Agent. For this song, she used the stage name Barbara Allen. Her cousin, Monk Higgins, who was a producer and saxophonist, produced this song. Barbara also sang backup for other artists at Chess Records. She worked on recordings for singers like Fontella Bass, Etta James, and Koko Taylor.

Breakthrough Hits

In 1966, Barbara started working as a receptionist at Brunswick Records' office in Chicago. She gave some of her own try-out songs to producer Carl Davis. One of her songs, "Whispers (Gettin' Louder)", became a big hit for Jackie Wilson. She had co-written this song with David Scott. It reached number 5 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 11 on the pop chart.

Jackie Wilson then helped Barbara get a deal to record her own music with Brunswick. Her first two songs for the label didn't become hits. But her third song, "Show Me the Way To Go", was a duet with Gene Chandler and made it onto the R&B chart. She began writing songs with Eugene Record, the lead singer of the Chi-Lites. They co-wrote the Peaches and Herb hit "Two Little Kids".

Record and Davis then produced Barbara's first and biggest solo hit, "Love Makes a Woman". This song reached number 3 on the R&B chart and number 15 on the US pop chart in July 1968. It also won a special music award from BMI.

Songwriting Success

Barbara continued to have many hits on Brunswick for the next four years. These included "From the Teacher to the Preacher", another duet with Gene Chandler. Her solo hits included "Just Ain't No Love" and "Am I the Same Girl". The music without singing from "Am I the Same Girl" became an even bigger hit. It was released as "Soulful Strut" by Young-Holt Unlimited. Other artists like Swing Out Sister and Dusty Springfield later made new versions of "Am I the Same Girl".

Barbara Acklin in 1970, a successful period for her music

Barbara also released several albums on the Brunswick label. These included Love Makes a Woman (1968), Seven Days of Night (1969), Someone Else's Arms (1970), I Did It (1971), and I Call It Trouble (1973).

At the same time, she kept writing successful songs with Eugene Record. They were inspired by the spoken parts on Isaac Hayes' album Hot Buttered Soul. Record and Acklin wrote "Have You Seen Her". This song was first on the Chi-Lites' album (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People in 1971. Later, it was released as a single and became a huge hit. It reached number 1 on the R&B chart and number 3 on the US pop chart. It also made the UK top ten twice. In 1990, MC Hammer recorded the song, and it became a top ten hit again. Record and Acklin also wrote other popular songs for the Chi-Lites, such as "Toby" and "Too Good To Be Forgotten".

Later Career and Legacy

In 1974, Barbara Acklin moved to Capitol Records. Her first song for this label, "Raindrops", was co-written by her and produced by Willie Henderson. It became her biggest R&B hit in six years, reaching number 14. She also released an album called A Place in the Sun in 1975. However, her later songs were not as successful, and her contract with Capitol Records ended in 1975.

Barbara continued to perform her own songs and sang backup for other artists like the Chi-Lites and Tyrone Davis. In 1980, she recorded some songs for Carl Davis' Chi-Sound label. She also sang backup on Otis Clay's album The Gospel Truth in 1993. Later in her life, Barbara Acklin lived in Omaha, Nebraska.

Her Passing

Barbara Acklin began recording a new album in 1998. Sadly, she became ill and passed away from pneumonia at the age of 55 in Omaha, Nebraska. She was survived by her son, Marcus White, her daughter, Samotta Acklin, and her godson, Elliot Myrick.

Music Albums

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

These albums are collections of Barbara Acklin's songs that were released later.

• Groovy Ideas (1987, Kent)
• Greatest Hits (1995, Brunswick)
• Brunswick Singles A's & B's (1999, Edsel)
• 20 Greatest Hits (2002, Brunswick)
• The Brunswick Anthology (2002, Brunswick)
• The Best of Barbara Acklin (2003, Collectables)
• The Complete Barbara Acklin on Brunswick Records (2004, Edsel)

Hit Singles

These are the individual songs Barbara Acklin released.

See also

In Spanish: Barbara Acklin para niños