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Jessie Smith (singer)

{{Short description|American R&B vocalist (1941–2021)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Jessie Smith

| alias = Little Miss Jessie
Jessie David
Jessie Smith Lucas

| birth_date = {{birth date|1941|11|28}}

| birth_place = Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|2|4|1941|11|28}}

| death_place = Alton, Illinois, U.S.

| occupation = Singer

| background = solo_singer

| genre = R&B

| image = Jessiesmith1965.jpg

| caption = Smith in 1965

}}

Jessie Smith (November 28, 1941 – February 4, 2021) was an American R&B vocalist. She began her career singing with musician Benny Sharp, recording as Little Miss Jessie, and became best known as one of the original Ikettes in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. She later sang backing vocals for various artists, including Dr. John, Paul Williams, Al Kooper, José Feliciano, and Leon Ware.

Life and career

{{Main|The Ikettes|The Mirettes}}

Jessie Smith was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, the daughter of Georgia and Israel Smith, and was raised in Alton, Illinois.[https://www.facebook.com/cathymwilliamsfh/posts/jessie-smith-lucas-was-born-to-israel-and-georgia-smith-on-november-28-1941-in-c/3850333535025873/ Obituary, Jessie Smith Lucas, Cathy M. Williams Funeral Home, February 10, 2021]. Retrieved 31 July 2021 She was a member of the Belle Street Temple Church Of God In Christ, under the leadership of Superintendent R.J. Monroe, and sang gospel solos and with choirs as a teenager. She was a part of The Monroe-Ettes, a female gospel group, with Missionary Norma Smith and Wanda Thompson.

After winning a local talent show at the age of 16, she occasionally sang background vocals for such visiting musicians as Albert King and Ike Turner. In 1961, she was recruited by bandleader Benny Sharp and his band the Zorros of Rhythm in St. Louis.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FPCVCgAAQBAJ&q=ikettes+jessie+smith&pg=PA260|title=Blues Unlimited: Essential Interviews from the Original Blues Magazine|last1=Greensmith|first1=Bill|last2=Camarigg|first2=Mark|last3=Rowe|first3=Mike|publisher=University of Illinois Press|year=2015|isbn=978-0-252-09750-8|pages=260|language=en}} Sharp's band included New Breed, a vocal trio consisting of Stacy Johnson, Vernon Guy, and Horise O'Toole. Backed by Sharp and his band, Smith released the single, "My Baby Has Gone" / "St. Louis Sunset Twist," on Chicago's Mel-O Records under the name Little Miss Jessie in 1961.Tony Burke, "Obituary: Jessie Smith", Blues & Rhythm, No.359, May 2021, p.12{{Cite journal|last=Braun|first=Barrett|date=January–February 1990|title=Benny Sharp & The Sharpees|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/content.sitezoogle.com/u/163323/ff61e7145924d45bc0f70be57bbd9340e27751b6/original/07-bluesletter-jan-90.pdf?response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAJUKM2ICUMTYS6ISA%2F20200111%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20200111T120237Z&X-Amz-Expires=604800&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=b3225baee84f6b8bafeef171d88fc7197f447d12f354c6cdcec99c3a6a9c6c56|journal=The Blues Letter|pages=5, 11}}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

By 1962, Smith, Johnson, and Guy had left Sharp to join the Ike & Tina Turner Revue which had relocated to Los Angeles. Smith along with Robbie Montgomery who she knew from St. Louis and Venetta Fields (a gospel singer from Buffalo, New York) formed the first official incarnation of the Ikettes.{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/itinamylifestory00turn|title=I, Tina: My Life Story|last1=Turner|first1=Tina|last2=Loder|first2=Kurt|date=1986|publisher=New York : Avon Books|others=Internet Archive|isbn=9780380700974 }} The revue toured throughout the country performing a grueling schedule of one-nighters.{{Cite magazine|date=February 10, 1962|title=Artist's Biographies: The Ikettes|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1962/Billboard%201962-02-10.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=26}} They performed at prominent venues such as the Apollo Theater in New York, the Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C., and the Uptown Theater in Philadelphia.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stlmag.com/St-Louis-Magazine/March-2010/A-Conversation-With-Robbie-Montgomery/|title=A Conversation With Robbie Montgomery|last=Cooperman|first=Jeannette|date=February 26, 2010|website=St. Louis Magazine|language=en-us}} As an Ikette, Smith performed on the American television shows American Bandstand, Hollywood A Go-Go, and Shindig!. Two of the Ikettes' biggest hits were released on Modern Records in 1965, "Peaches 'N' Cream" (Pop No. 36, R&B No. 28) and "I'm So Thankful" (Pop No. 74, R&B No. 12).{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/the-ikettes/chart-history/hot-100|title=Ikettes Chart History|magazine=Billboard}}{{dead link|date=December 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

Smith, Fields and Montgomery left the revue in 1965. Prevented by Turner from using the name Ikettes, they formed the Mirettes in 1966, named after their new label Mirwood Records.{{Cite magazine|date=April 16, 1966|title=From Music Capitals of the World: Los Angeles|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1966/Billboard%201966-04-16.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=34}} They released a few singles, including "In the Midnight Hour" (Pop No. 45, R&B No. 18) in 1968.{{Cite web|url=https://www.musicvf.com/songs.php?page=artist&artist=The+Mirettes|title=The Mirettes Songs Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography|website=Music VF, US & UK hits charts}} After they disbanded, Smith continued to record as a backing vocalist in the 1970s, with singers including Al Kooper, Bryan Ferry, and Jose Feliciano. On occasion she teamed up with Robbie Montgomery for sessions, such as the recording of Dr. John's albums In The Right Place (1973), Triumvirate, (1973), and Desitively Bonnaroo (1974).

After her R&B career, she settled in California, married Edward Lucas, and raised her family. In 1990, she returned to her gospel roots at the Monroe Memorial Church in Alton, Illinois, under Bishop Samuel E. White, where she continued to sing.

She died on February 4, 2021, aged 79.{{Cite web|url=https://news.amomama.com/251383-sweetie-pies-robbie-montgomery-mourns-de.html|title='Sweetie Pie's' Star Robbie Montgomery Mourns the Death of Her 'Best Friend' Jesse Smith Lucas|first=Stephen|last=Thompson|date=February 5, 2021|website=News.amomama.com|access-date=October 8, 2024}}

Discography

= Singles =

  • 1961: "My Baby Has Gone" / "St. Louis Sunset Twist: (Mel-O 101)

= Albums featured as an Ikette/Mirette =

= Backing vocal credits =

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jessie-smith-mn0000096704 Jessie Smith] on AllMusic

{{The Ikettes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Jessie}}

Category:1941 births

Category:2021 deaths

Category:21st-century African-American women singers

Category:21st-century American women singers

Category:American gospel singers

Category:American rhythm and blues singers

Category:American soul singers

Category:Ike & Tina Turner members

Category:People from Alton, Illinois

Category:Musicians from Clarksdale, Mississippi