Dianne Brooks facts for kids

Dianne Brooks (born January 3, 1939 – died April 29, 2005) was a talented singer from New Jersey, USA. She sang soul, R&B, and jazz music. Dianne became a big part of Canadian soul music when she joined a group called The Soul Searchers.

Dianne also sang on her own, releasing two albums and several singles. Her most famous solo song was "Walkin' on My Mind" in 1969. She was also a very busy backup singer, helping out many famous artists. These included Anne Murray, Gino Vannelli, and Richie Havens. Dianne also wrote songs.

Dianne's Early Life and Music Journey

Dianne Brooks was born in New Jersey. She started singing gospel music in her church when she was just three years old. Her mother noticed her talent and sent her to New York City to study singing.

As a teenager, Dianne joined a group called The Three Playmates. They recorded songs for the Savoy label. In 1960, Dianne moved to Toronto, Canada. During the 1960s, she was a member of two popular Canadian R&B and soul groups. She also appeared often on Canadian radio and television.

Her singing caught the attention of Jerry Schoenbaum, who started Verve Records. Dianne signed a deal and recorded two songs for the label. One of her songs, "Picture Me Gone," was also recorded by Madeline Bell. Like Dianne, Madeline also grew up singing gospel music in New Jersey. Both singers had similar careers, adding their voices to many other artists' recordings. In the 1970s, Dianne was in high demand as a backup singer.

Famous musicians praised Dianne's voice. Emmylou Harris once said, “When I hear Dianne I feel like handing in my contract.” This means she thought Dianne was an amazing singer. Ray Charles called her the greatest voice he had heard since Dinah Washington. Jack Batten of The Toronto Star newspaper said she was the best soul singer in Canada. Anne Murray said Dianne was incredibly creative with her singing.

First Recordings in the 1950s

In the late 1950s, Dianne was part of these recordings:

• "Giddy-Up-a-Ding-Dong" / "It Must Be Love" (released in 1957)
• "Give Your Love to Me" / "(Do-oo, Do-oo) I Dreamed" (released in 1957)
• "Sugah Wooga" / "Lovey Dovey Pair" (released in 1957)

The Three Playmates group included sisters Lucille and Alma Beatty, and Gwen Brooks (Dianne). One of their songs, "Sugah Wooga," became a hit. Dianne helped write this song. It reached number 89 on the Billboard Pop Top 100 chart.

Music in the 1960s

The Orbiteers

In 1962, Dianne recorded a song for a toy called the Orbiteer. The song was "The Orbiteer Twist," which was a commercial. Dianne wrote this song herself. It was released as a single, with one side credited to Dianne Brooks. The other side was credited to The Orbiteers. It is believed that Robbie Robertson played on this recording, which might have been his first released work.

The Silhouettes

Dianne Brooks and saxophonist Steve Kennedy were part of The Silhouettes. This group was well-known in Toronto's R&B music scene. The Silhouettes played at popular places like Friar’s Tavern and the Blue Note club in Toronto.

Joining The Soul Searchers

In 1966, Dianne and Steve Kennedy left The Silhouettes. They formed a new group called The Soul Searchers. The group also included Eric Mercury, guitarist Terry Logan, organist William "Smitty" Smith, and drummer Eric "Mouse" Johnson.

According to Smitty's book, A Stroke of Luck, Dianne and Steve were dating. Smitty and Steve had the idea to create a band to play with Dianne. The group started in April 1966. Even though they were often called "The Soul Searchers," their full name was "Diane Brooks, Eric Mercury and The Soul Searchers." The band's musicians were Eric "Mouse" Johnson (drums, vocals), Steve Kennedy (saxophones, background vocals), Terry Logan (guitar, vocals), and William "Smitty" Smith (organ, vocals). They first performed at the Memory Lane club in Toronto.

Later that year, Dianne received an offer to record songs on her own. The band was not considered experienced enough to play on her solo recordings. In November 1966, Dianne recorded four songs in New York: "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself", "In My Heart", "Sometimes I Wonder", and "Into Something Good". The next year, she recorded two more songs: "Picture Me Gone" and "Say Something Nice To Me". Some of these songs were released as singles.

In May and June 1967, The Soul Searchers played at The Scene club in New York with other bands like The Free Spirits. They even shared the stage with The Doors on several nights. Posters for the shows announced: "APPEARING WITH THE DOORS NIGHTLY for a Completely Flipped Out Evening: DIANNE BROOKS / ERIC MERCURY and The SOUL SEARCHERS".

At some point, Dianne left the band. Eric Mercury then became the main singer.

Dianne's Solo Career

Revolution Records and Big Hits

Revolution Records was a Canadian music company. They wanted to build a great recording studio. After the studio was ready in August 1969, they recorded some demo songs with Dianne Brooks. Demos are like practice recordings. The studio owners were so impressed with Dianne's singing that they decided the songs had to be released! This is how Revolver Records started.

By March 1969, Dianne had signed with Revolution. Her single "Walkin' on My Mind" was released by Revolver Records that month. It was also released in the United States by Ray Charles's Tangerine label. The song quickly became popular in Canada. By May 2, it reached number 4 on the RPM chart.

Dianne also wrote a song called "Memories of a Broken Promise". The band Motherlode recorded this song. It became a hit in both Canada and the US, reaching number 99 on the CASH BOX Top 100 Singles chart.

In late 1969, Dianne's album, Some Other Kind of Soul, was released. Motherlode helped by playing instruments on some of the songs. Dianne also performed with Doug Riley and Rob McConnell's Boss Brass during this time. By June 1970, her album was on the RPM100 album chart.

Music in the 1970s

In 1975, Dianne sang backup vocals for Canadian folk singer Bob Carpenter's album, Silent Passage. Emmylou Harris and Anne Murray also sang on this album.

In 1976, Dianne released her album Back Stairs Of My Life. It included the song "Down the Backstairs of My Life", which was written by Eric Mercury and William Smith. William Smith also played keyboards on the album. In 1976, Dianne and William Smith also helped on Richie Havens' album, The End of the Beginning, providing background vocals.

In 1978, Dianne was one of the special singers chosen to sing on Dusty Springfield's album It Begins Again. She sang background vocals with Pattie Brooks and Brenda Russell.

Music in the 1980s

In 1981, Dianne released a single called "Go Away" with the Town House record label.

Later Years and Legacy

On October 1, 1996, Dianne was announced to perform at a special event in November. She shared the stage with other artists like Robin Banks and Lee Aaron.

Dianne Brooks passed away on April 29, 2005, in Toronto. She had a lung disease.

Dianne's daughter, Jo-Ann Brooks VanderMeer, was also a singer. She passed away in 2019. Dianne's granddaughter, Lindsay Bell, is also a singer, continuing the family's musical talent.

Music Released After Her Death

In 2021, an album of eight songs called From the Heart & Soul was released. It featured musicians like Don Grusin and Doug Riley. The album included songs like "Trying to Get to You" and "All I Need is You". Some songs were recorded in Los Angeles in 1978 and 1980. Other songs were recorded live in 1983 with the Doug Riley Trio. The album received good reviews, with one reviewer saying Dianne "floated over the bassline" in "Trying To Get To You."

Discography