Doris Duke (soul singer) facts for kids

Doris Willingham (born Curry, May 18, 1941 – March 21, 2019) was an American singer. She was known as Doris Duke during her music career. She sang both gospel and soul songs. Many people remember her best for her 1969 album called I'm a Loser.

Biography

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Doris Duke was born in Sandersville, Georgia. She started singing at a young age. Reports say she sang with gospel groups. One group was The Caravans, a famous gospel group.

By 1963, Doris was working in New York City. She sang in recording sessions. She also sang as a backing singer at the famous Apollo Theatre. She even recorded some practice songs, called demos, for Motown Records. However, these songs were never officially released.

First Recordings and Breakthrough Album

Doris married Johnathan Augustus "Gus" Willingham. He was a member of the group The Cadillacs. Using her married name, Doris Willingham, she released her first single. It was called "Running Away from Loneliness" in 1966. This song was on Jay Boy Records but did not become a hit.

So, Doris continued to work as a session singer. She mostly worked in Philadelphia. She also sang backup for Nina Simone on a live album. This album, A Very Rare Evening, was recorded in Germany in 1969.

In 1969, a producer named Jerry 'Swamp Dogg' Williams Jr. signed her. He had worked for Atlantic Records. He gave her the stage name Doris Duke. They recorded the album I'm a Loser in Macon, Georgia. This album was released by Canyon Records. Over time, many people, like music expert Dave Godin, called it one of the best deep soul albums ever.

The first song from the album was "To the Other Woman (I'm the Other Woman)". It became very popular. It reached number 7 on the Billboard R&B chart. It also reached number 50 on the pop chart in early 1970. Her next song, "Feet Start Walking," also made it onto the R&B chart. But then, the record company went out of business. This stopped her success.

Later Career and Retirement

Doris Duke recorded another album with Swamp Dogg. It was called A Legend in Her Own Time. This album came out in 1971 on the Mankind label. However, it did not sell well.

Her career became a bit confusing. There was another famous person named Doris Duke. She was a wealthy heiress. This other Doris Duke also started singing with a gospel choir in New Jersey.

Doris Duke the singer remarried and used the name Doris Logan. She took a break from music to raise her young children. Later, she went through another divorce. In 1973, she tried recording for Bob Shad's Mainstream label, but it wasn't successful.

In 1974, she signed with the British Contempo label. Her album Woman was recorded in London. It received good reviews from critics. However, it did not sell many copies. After this, Doris Duke retired from the music business.

An album called Funky Fox came out in 1981. It was credited to "Sister Doris Duke." But the songs on it were actually by other artists. However, Doris Duke did record one more single. It was called "I'll Make a Sweet Man (Out of You)." This song was released in Boston in 1981.

Later, music fans tried to find Doris Duke, but it was difficult. Doris also had two sisters, Jeraldine and Joyce Curry. They recorded music as The Heartstoppers in the early 1970s.

In 2005, Ace Records released a CD. It combined her albums I'm a Loser and A Legend in Her Own Time. It also included some songs that were not on those albums.

Doris Curry Willingham, known as Doris Duke, passed away in 2019. She was 77 years old.