Chubby Newsom facts for kids

Velma "Chubby" Newsom (born January 27, 1920 – died September 13, 2003) was an American R&B singer. She was known for her powerful voice and exciting performances in the 1940s and 1950s.

Early Life and Start in Music

Chubby Newsom was born in either Detroit, Michigan, or Alabama. She moved to Detroit when she was a child. She began her career as a singer and dancer in vaudeville, which was a popular type of stage entertainment at the time. She then moved to New Orleans, where she sang in local clubs, including the famous Dew Drop Inn.

Discovery and First Hit

In 1948, the bandleader Paul Gayten discovered Chubby Newsom in New Orleans. He signed her to De Luxe Records. Her first record was called "Hip Shakin' Mama." She was backed by Gayten's band, and it's believed that saxophonist Sam Butera also played on the song. The record was credited to Chubby "Hip Shakin" Newsom and Her Hip Shakers.

Because of a special agreement between De Luxe and Miltone Records, the song was released on both labels at the same time. In early 1949, "Hip Shakin' Mama" became a big hit! It reached number 8 on the Billboard Race Records chart, which is what the R&B chart was called back then. The Chicago Defender newspaper even called her the "singing sensation of 1949."

Recording More Music

Chubby Newsom recorded several more songs for De Luxe Records. Some of these were with Paul Gayten's band, and others were with the band led by Dave Bartholomew. This band included talented musicians like saxophonist Herb Hardesty, guitarist Ernest McLean, bassist Frank Fields, and drummer Earl Palmer. While these songs were not as big hits as her first one, music experts like Bruce Eder from AllMusic described them as "excellent records" and exciting examples of New Orleans-style R&B music from that time.

She briefly married Ken Gorman, who was a singer in Gayten's band. After a short time, she ended her work with both Gorman and Gayten and went back to performing at the Dew Drop Inn.

New Record Labels and Tours

In 1950, Chubby Newsom started recording for Regal Records. She released several singles, some with the Howard Biggs Orchestra. However, these songs did not become big hits. She also performed in many cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Chicago. She shared the stage with other famous musicians such as Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams, Erroll Garner, and Larry Darnell.

In 1951, she went on a concert tour with Paul Gayten and Little Jimmy Scott. Some of Little Jimmy Scott's recordings were mistakenly thought to be by Chubby Newsom. In 1953, she signed with the Chance label in Chicago and recorded with the Al Smith orchestra, but these recordings were never released. She also toured with Al Smith.

The Bluzettes Duo

Around 1954, Chubby Newsom formed a singing duo called the Bluzettes (sometimes spelled Bluezettes) with another singer named Alberta Adams. Alberta Adams described their duo by saying, "We was the baddest thing out there. We did blues and blues ballads. We was shaped alike, like bricks, with small waistlines. We dressed alike, same hair, and we sounded like one voice."

The Bluzettes toured with Tiny Bradshaw's band. However, they didn't have much success, and Chubby Newsom decided to leave the music business shortly after this. Her last recordings were made in 1957.

Later Life

Chubby Newsom passed away in Merriam, Kansas, in 2003.