Lavelle White facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lavelle White
White performing in 2014
Background information
Birth name	Lillia Lavell White
Also known as	Miss La-Vell Lily Fields
Born	(1929-07-03) July 3, 1929 (age 95) Amite City, Louisiana, United States
Genres	Texas blues, soul blues, electric blues
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1950s–present
Labels	Various including Duke

Lavelle White, born Lillia Lavell White on July 3, 1929, is an amazing American singer and songwriter. She is known for her powerful Texas blues and soul blues music. Even though she sang for many years, her first album wasn't released until 1994, when she was 65 years old!

Lavelle White's Early Life and Music Journey

Lavelle White was born in Amite City, Louisiana. Her parents worked on farms, growing crops. When she was just 12 years old, she started writing poetry. This soon led her to write songs and sing gospel music.

Moving to Houston and First Recordings

At age 15, Lavelle moved to Houston, Texas. There, she began singing in blues clubs with guitarist Clarence Hollimon. Her big chance came when singer Johnny Copeland told Don Robey about her. Robey owned famous record labels like Duke and Peacock.

Lavelle started recording music under the name Miss La-Vell. Between 1958 and 1964, she recorded 14 songs for Duke Records. Some of her popular singles included "If I Could Be with You" and "Stop These Teardrops." She wrote many of her own songs. She even helped write Bobby Bland's hit song "Lead Me On" in 1960.

Touring and Performing with Music Legends

After her recording contract ended, Lavelle White traveled all over the United States. In the 1960s, she shared the stage with many famous musicians. These included Bobby Bland, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, and Jerry Butler.

In 1978, she moved to Chicago. There, she performed in many clubs and worked with blues legends like Junior Wells and Buddy Guy. Eight years later, she returned to Houston. She was even voted Houston's Blues Artist of the Year! Later, she moved to Austin and became a regular performer at famous places like Antone's.

Albums and Awards

Lavelle White's first album, Miss Lavelle, came out in 1994. It was her first recording in almost 30 years! She performed at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 1995. She also sang at the Houston International Festival.

Her second album, It Haven't Been Easy, was released in 1997. Both of her first two albums featured guitar playing by her old friend, Clarence Hollimon. In the same year, Lavelle appeared on the TV show Austin City Limits with Delbert McClinton. Her third album, Into the Mystic, was released in 2003.

Lavelle White has been nominated many times for a Blues Music Award. In 2006, she was honored by being added to the Texas Music Hall of Fame. In the same year, her band was named the Best Blues Band in The Austin Chronicle Music Awards. She also performed at the Ponderosa Stomp music festival.

Lavelle White's Music Albums

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

See also

• List of Texas blues musicians
• List of soul-blues musicians
• List of electric blues musicians
• List of Austin City Limits performers