Theola Kilgore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Theola Kilgore
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| Background information | |
| Born | December 6, 1925 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Origin | Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Died | May 15, 2005 (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Gospel, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | c.1955 – c.1970 |
| Labels | Candix, Serock, KT, Mercury |
Theola Kilgore (born December 6, 1925 – died May 15, 2005) was an American singer. She was famous for her soul and gospel songs.
About Theola Kilgore
Theola Kilgore was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. She grew up in Oakland, California. From a young age, she loved to sing. She started by singing in her church.
Her Musical Journey
Theola made her first recording in 1955. She was the main singer on a song called "Look to the Hills" with the Mount Zion Spiritual Choir. At that time, she was known as Theola Kilgord.
Later, in the 1950s, while singing gospel music, she met J. W. Alexander. He was the manager for the famous singer Sam Cooke. J. W. Alexander introduced Theola to a singer and record producer named Ed Townsend.
Her first pop song was "The Sound of My Man (Working on a Chain Gang)". This song was a response to Sam Cooke's popular song "Chain Gang" from 1960.
Her Biggest Hit Songs
Theola Kilgore had her biggest hit song with "The Love of My Man". This song was based on "The Love of God" by a group called the Soul Stirrers. Her record was released on the Serock label. This label was part of Scepter Records.
In 1963, "The Love of My Man" became a huge success. It reached number 3 on the R&B music charts. It also reached number 21 on the main Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Her next song, "This Is My Prayer", also did well. It reached number 60 on the Hot 100 chart. After this, Theola Kilgore and Ed Townsend started their own record label called KT.
Theola traveled a lot to perform her music. Many of her later songs were arranged by René Hall. She also recorded music for Mercury Records. One of her later songs, "It's Gonna Be Alright", became very popular in the UK. It was a favorite in the Northern Soul music scene there.
Theola Kilgore passed away in Los Angeles, California, in 2005.
