Jessie Mae Robinson facts for kids

Jessie Mae Robinson (born Booker, October 1, 1918 – October 26, 1966) was a very talented American musician and songwriter. She wrote many popular songs in the 1940s and 1950s. Her songs became big hits in both R&B and pop music. Some of her most famous songs include "Black Night", "I Went To Your Wedding", and "Let's Have a Party".

About Jessie Mae Robinson

Jessie Mae Booker was born in Call, Texas. However, she grew up in Los Angeles, California. She started writing songs when she was a teenager. There, she met and married Leonard Robinson.

Early Songs and Success

After a few years, Jessie Mae began sharing her songs with singers and music companies. Her first song to be recorded was "Mellow Man Blues". Dinah Washington sang it in 1945.

Jessie Mae became very successful with "Cleanhead Blues" in 1946. Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson sang this song. Then, "Old Maid Boogie" became a number one R&B hit in 1947.

Over the next few years, many of her songs became R&B hits. These included "In the Middle of the Night", "Roomin' House Boogie", and "Tears, Tears, Tears". Amos Milburn sang all of these. Other hits were "Sneakin' Around" by Rudy Render, and "Blue Light Boogie" by Louis Jordan.

In 1951, Charles Brown had a number one hit with her song "Black Night". Its follow-up, "Seven Long Days", was also very popular.

Breaking Barriers with Pop Hits

In 1952, Damita Jo recorded Jessie Mae's song "I Went To Your Wedding". This song became even more famous when Patti Page covered it. Patti Page's version reached number one on the pop music charts. Hank Snow, a country music star, also recorded it.

The huge success of "I Went To Your Wedding" was very important. It helped Jessie Mae become one of the few black songwriters to succeed in mainstream pop music. She was also the first African-American woman to join ASCAP. ASCAP is a group that protects the rights of songwriters.

She continued to write more pop hits. She wrote "Keep It a Secret" for Jo Stafford in 1952. Hank Snow also recorded this song. She also wrote "I'm Just A Poor Bachelor" for Frankie Laine in 1953.

One of her most famous songs is "Let's Have a Party". Elvis Presley first recorded it in 1957. Later, Wanda Jackson also sang it. Another successful song was "The Other Woman". Sarah Vaughan had a hit with it in 1958. Later, Nina Simone and Lana Del Rey also recorded this song.

Later Life

After her successful songwriting career, Jessie Mae Robinson tried to start her own record labels. This happened in the 1960s, but these efforts were not very successful. She passed away at her home in Los Angeles in 1966. She was 48 years old.