Camille Yarbrough facts for kids

Camille Yarbrough (born January 8, 1938) is an American artist. She is a singer, dancer, actress, poet, and author. She has also produced television shows and worked as an activist.

Camille Yarbrough is best known for her song "Take Yo' Praise." This song was later used by the famous DJ Fatboy Slim in his hit song "Praise You." "Take Yo' Praise" was first recorded in 1975. It was part of Yarbrough's first album, The Iron Pot Cooker. She said she wrote the song for "all the people who had come through the black civil rights movement." These were people who stood up for truth, fairness, and justice. She felt that people need to praise and respect each other more.

The Iron Pot Cooker album was inspired by a stage show. This show was Camille Yarbrough's own one-woman performance. It was called Tales and Tunes of an African American Griot. A griot is a storyteller, musician, and historian in West African culture. She traveled all over the country with this show in the 1970s and 1980s. Her second album, Ancestor House, came out in 2003. It features spoken word, soul, and blues music. She released it on her own record label, Maat Music. Ancestor House was recorded live in New York City.

About Camille Yarbrough

Camille Yarbrough was born in 1938. She grew up in the South Side of Chicago. She was the youngest of seven children in her family. When she was a teenager, she became a dancer. She performed with the famous Katherine Dunham Company.

Her show Tales and Tunes of an African American Griot was first performed in 1973. It took place at a theater club in Manhattan, New York.

Her Music and Influence

A small part of Camille Yarbrough's song "Take Yo' Praise" is used in the beginning of Fatboy Slim's 1999 song "Praise You." This part is a vocal sample, meaning a short piece of her singing. In 2021, Yarbrough said she liked "Praise You." She felt that Norman Cook, who is Fatboy Slim, kept the true feeling of her original song.

Many people have praised Camille Yarbrough's first album, The Iron Pot Cooker. Journalist Kevin Powell wrote that her album was like an early version of Lauryn Hill's popular album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

Other reviews also highlighted her unique style:

• Billboard magazine said she had hints of Nina Simone and Gil Scott-Heron. But they noted her own singing and spoken word style were "outstanding." They also said her songs make you think.
• Spin magazine called her a "hip-hop foremother." This means she helped pave the way for hip-hop music.
• CDNow called her album "the most important rediscovery of the year."

Children's Book Author

In 1979, Camille Yarbrough wrote a children's book. It was called Cornrows. The book was illustrated by Carole Byard. Cornrows won the Coretta Scott King Award. This award is given to African American authors and illustrators of children's books.

Camille Yarbrough lives in New York City today.