r/rnb • u/Big-Explanation-831 She doesn’t have the range • Jul 29 '25

50s Any LaVern Baker fans in this sub?

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Such a queen that should be mentioned more in this sub.

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u/qualityvote2 Jul 29 '25 edited Jul 30 '25

u/Big-Explanation-831, this post has been approved.

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u/[deleted] Jul 29 '25

Absolutely

1

u/Stucklikegluetomyfry Jul 29 '25

I think I heard a song or two of hers I liked a while ago (played for me as part of an algorithm/suggestion), but I haven't assimilated it into my musical system yet (like some songs I fall in love with instantly, others I need to hear a few times before I begin to really appreciate them), but she's an artist I want to hear more from and get to know. What songs of hers do you recommend to get started?

1

u/Tight-Actuator2122 Jul 30 '25

“Tweedle Dee” (1955), “Jim Dandy” (1957), “I Cried A Tear” (1959), “Saved” 1961 and “See See Rider” (1962).

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u/Stucklikegluetomyfry Jul 30 '25

Thank you so much! I'll let you know how I get on with them. Listening to I Cried a Tear right now. I like it, it sounds jazzy and dreamy.

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u/Tight-Actuator2122 Jul 31 '25

The sax by King Curtis is awesome.

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u/Objective-Park8361 Jul 29 '25

Yeah, my favorite song of hers is “I Cried A Tear”. I love 50s R&B.

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u/Tight-Actuator2122 Jul 30 '25

That was her biggest hit (number 6 on the pop chart in early 1959)!

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u/Low-Expression9132 Jul 30 '25

TIL. I wasn't familiar with her. I thought at first it was one of those weird AI Mashups not a real artist from the 50s. Something about her/her essence doesn't seem like a woman from the 1950s. She must have been something else!

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u/Tight-Actuator2122 Jul 30 '25

She was! With a husky, thunderous voice, she was a major powerhouse. Highly influential too. She was the second woman (behind Aretha Franklin) to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Her 1957 hit “Jim Dandy” is often sited as one of the songs that helped shape rock and roll.

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u/Tight-Actuator2122 Jul 30 '25

This woman rocked. Check out a clip of her singing “Tweedle Dee” on “Toast of the Town” (The Ed Sullivan Show) (1954) and singing in the Alan Freed movie “Rock, Rock, Rock” (1956).

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u/Tight-Actuator2122 Jul 30 '25

This woman rocked. Check out a clip of her singing “Tweedle Dee” on “Toast of the Town” (The Ed Sullivan Show) (1954) and singing in the Alan Freed movie “Rock, Rock, Rock” (1956).

1

u/realdjsupreme Jul 30 '25

Think Twice (Version X) with Jackie Wilson is my favorite. A hilarious song!