Fontella Bass facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fontella Bass
Fontella Bass in 1965
Background information
Birth name	Fontella Marie Bass
Born	(1940-07-03)July 3, 1940 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	December 26, 2012(2012-12-26) (aged 72) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Genres	Soul R&B pop gospel
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter musician
Instruments	Vocals piano
Years active	1961–2012
Labels	Bobbin Prann Sonja Checker MCA
Associated acts	David Peaston, Ike Turner, Oliver Sain, Little Milton, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Lester Bowie

Fontella Marie Bass (born July 3, 1940 – died December 26, 2012) was an American singer and songwriter. She was famous for her R&B and soul songs. Her biggest hit was "Rescue Me" in 1965, which became a number-one R&B song. Fontella Bass was nominated for a Grammy Award two times during her career.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Fontella Bass was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her mother, Martha Bass, was a well-known gospel singer. She was part of the Clara Ward Singers. Fontella's older brother, David Peaston, also became an R&B singer.

Fontella showed musical talent from a very young age. When she was just five, she played piano for her grandmother's singing at funerals. At six, she sang in her church choir. By the time she was nine, she was touring with her mother. They traveled all over the South and Southwest of America.

Fontella continued touring with her mother until she was sixteen. As a teenager, she became interested in other types of music. She started singing R&B songs at local contests. She also performed at fairs while attending Soldan High School. She graduated in 1958.

At 17, Fontella began her professional singing career. She worked at the Showboat Club near Chain of Rocks, Missouri. In 1961, she joined the Leon Claxton Show carnival for two weeks. She played piano and sang in the chorus. She wanted to tour with them, but her mother did not allow it.

During her time with the Claxton show, she met singer Little Milton and his bandleader Oliver Sain. They hired her to play piano for Little Milton's concerts and recordings.

Fontella first only played piano with the band. One night, Little Milton was late. Oliver Sain asked Fontella to sing instead. Soon, she became a featured singer in the show. Later, Milton and Sain separated. Fontella stayed with Sain. They formed "The Oliver Sain Soul Revue," featuring Fontella and male singer Bobby McClure.

Starting a Recording Career

With help from Bob Lyons, a manager at a St. Louis radio station, Fontella recorded several songs. These were released through Bobbin Records. She also recorded for Ike Turner's labels, Prann and Sonja. Her 1964 single "Poor Little Fool" even featured Tina Turner. However, these early songs did not become big hits. Around this time, she met and married jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie.

Two years later, Fontella left Little Milton's band. She moved to Chicago after a disagreement with Oliver Sain. She auditioned for Chess Records and was quickly signed to their label, Checker Records. Her first recordings there were duets with Bobby McClure. He had also signed with Checker.

In early 1965, their song "Don't Mess Up a Good Thing" became a success. It reached number 5 on the Billboard R&B chart. It also peaked at number 33 on the Hot 100 pop chart.

Bass and McClure followed this with "You're Gonna Miss Me" that summer. This song did fairly well on the R&B chart. After a short tour, Fontella went back to the studio.

The Hit Song "Rescue Me"

One recording session led to her biggest hit, "Rescue Me." The song had a strong beat. Musicians on the track included Maurice White (who later started Earth, Wind & Fire) and Louis Satterfield. Minnie Riperton was one of the backing singers.

"Rescue Me" quickly climbed the music charts in late 1965. It spent a month at the top of the R&B charts. It also reached number 4 on the US pop charts and number 11 in the UK. This song was Chess Records' first million-selling single in ten years. It sold over one million copies and earned a gold disc.

Fontella followed "Rescue Me" with "Recovery" in early 1966. This song also did well, reaching number 13 on the R&B chart and number 37 on the pop chart. That same year, she had two more R&B hits: "I Can't Rest" and "You'll Never Know." Her only album with Chess Records, The New Look, sold reasonably well.

However, Fontella became unhappy with Chess Records. She decided to leave the label in 1967. She felt that her contribution to writing the lyrics for "Rescue Me" was not recognized. She was promised credit but never received it. This made her known as a "trouble maker" in the music business.

Moving to Paris and Later Career

Fontella and her husband, Lester Bowie, moved to Paris in 1969. She recorded two albums there with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. These were Art Ensemble of Chicago with Fontella Bass and Les Stances a Sophie (both from 1970). The second album was the soundtrack for a French movie. Her song "Theme De YoYo" from that album became a cult classic. She also appeared on Bowie's albums The Great Pretender (1981) and All the Magic (1982).

Even with the success of "Rescue Me," it took many years for Fontella to get proper credit and royalties for writing the song.

After her second album, Free, did not sell well in 1972, Fontella took a break from music. She focused on raising her four children with Bowie. She sometimes returned to sing background vocals for other artists, including her husband.

In 1990, she recorded a gospel album with her mother and brother, David Peaston. It was called Promises: A Family Portrait of Faith. She also toured the US West Coast, performing both gospel and blues music. During the 1990s, she hosted a radio talk show in Chicago. She also released several gospel records on smaller labels. In 1992, she sang on three tracks for the World Saxophone Quartet album Breath of Life.

"Rescue Me" in a Commercial

The original version of "Rescue Me" was used in a TV advertisement for American Express. Fontella Bass was surprised to hear her own voice on the ad on New Year's Day 1990. This experience inspired her to take action. She looked into why her song was used without her permission. In 1993, she reached a settlement with American Express and their advertising agency. She received $50,000 plus extra damages.

Like many artists, Fontella Bass saw renewed interest in her music later in life. She appeared on a PBS special called Soul Celebration. Soul Spectacular in 2001. Her voice was also featured on two tracks of the Cinematic Orchestra's 2002 album Every Day. She also sang on two tracks of their 2007 album Ma Fleur.

In May 2000, Fontella Bass received a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

In the 2000s, she toured Europe with her younger brother, David Peaston. However, her health began to decline. Fontella faced many health challenges in her later years. She survived breast cancer and had several strokes starting in 2005. She also had a leg amputation.

Fontella Bass passed away on December 26, 2012, at a hospital in St. Louis. She was 72 years old. She died from complications of a heart attack she had earlier that month. She was survived by her four children.

Loss of Music Masters

Fontella Bass was one of many artists whose original audio recordings, called master tapes, were destroyed. This happened in the 2008 Universal Studios fire in 2008.

Grammy Award Nominations

The Grammy Awards are important music awards given each year. Fontella Bass received two Grammy nominations during her career.

Discography

Albums

Singles