Little Eva facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Little Eva
Little Eva in 1962
Background information
Birth name	Eva Narcissus Boyd
Born	(1943-06-29)June 29, 1943 Belhaven, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	April 10, 2003(2003-04-10) (aged 59) Kinston, North Carolina, U.S.
Genres	Doo-wop pop R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1961–1971, 1987–2001
Labels	Dimension Collectables Amy Verve Spring Malibu
Associated acts	Carole King Gerry Goffin Don Kirshner

Eva Narcissus Boyd (born June 29, 1943 – died April 10, 2003) was an American singer. She was best known by her stage name, Little Eva. Her biggest hit song was "The Loco-Motion" in 1962. Some people thought her stage name came from a book character. But Little Eva said it was because her family called her "Little Eva" after her aunt.

Little Eva's Early Life and Career

Eva Boyd was born in Belhaven, North Carolina, in 1943. She grew up with twelve brothers and sisters. When she was fifteen, her family moved to Brooklyn, New York.

As a teenager, Eva worked as a maid. She also babysat for famous songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin. They soon realized she had a great singing voice.

How "The Loco-Motion" Became a Hit

Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote "The Loco-Motion". They had Eva record it as a demo song. A music producer named Don Kirshner heard it. He was very impressed with Eva's voice and the song.

He decided to release it as a single. "The Loco-Motion" quickly became a huge hit. It reached number one in the United States in 1962. Over one million copies were sold, earning it a special "gold disc" award. After this big success, Little Eva became known as a singer who performed dance-craze songs.

Other Songs and Performances

Little Eva recorded other songs too. These included "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" and "Let's Turkey Trot". She also sang a new version of "Swinging on a Star" with Big Dee Irwin.

In 1964, she recorded a song called "Makin' With the Magilla". This song was for an episode of the cartoon show The Magilla Gorilla Show.

In 1963, Little Eva was part of a music tour called Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars. She was supposed to perform in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. However, the show was canceled that night. This happened because U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

Later Years and Comeback

Little Eva kept touring and recording music through the 1960s. But her songs were not as popular after 1964. She stopped performing in 1971.

Little Eva did not own the rights to her recordings. She returned to North Carolina with her three children. They lived a quiet life there.

In 1988, the singer Kylie Minogue recorded a new version of "The Loco-Motion". This new version became very popular. Little Eva said she didn't like the new version much. But its popularity helped her return to music.

She started performing live again. She joined other artists from her time on stage. She also recorded some new songs.

There is a short video clip of Little Eva performing "Loco-Motion". It's from a 1960s TV show called Shindig!. In this clip, she sings a short part of the song and does the famous dance steps. She also sang "Let's Turkey Trot" on the same show. This was one of her last TV performances until 1988.

Little Eva's Passing

Little Eva continued to perform until October 2001. At that time, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She passed away on April 10, 2003, in Kinston, North Carolina. She was 59 years old.

She is buried in a small cemetery in Belhaven, North Carolina. For a while, her gravesite had only a simple marker. In 2008, a TV report showed the cemetery needed care. People worked to restore it. A new gravestone was placed in November 2008. Her new grey gravestone has a picture of a steam locomotive on it. The words on her gravestone say: "Singing with the Angels".

Little Eva's Hit Songs

Here are some of the songs Little Eva released and how they did on the music charts:

Images for kids

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  A friendly robot

See also

In Spanish: Little Eva para niños