In Memoriam To The Queen Of the Blues Ms. Denise Lasalle
In Memoriam To The Queen Of the Blues Ms. Denise LaSalle Remembering ‘Queen of the Blues’ Denise LaSalle by nmaam | Jan 15, 2018 | Blog, Music, Uncategorized | The music world is mourning the loss of ‘Queen of the Blues’ singer and songwriter Denise LaSalle. LaSalle passed away January 8. Media outlets report LaSalle suffered from health issues in recent months that resulted in the amputation of her right leg after she suffered a fall. She was honored with the “Queen of the Blues” title following the death of the previous “Queen of the Blues” Koko Taylor in 2009. Combining Blues and Soul LaSalle’s musical contributions have helped to shape America’s soundtrack. She combined the blues with a soulful touch that allowed music lovers to appreciate the fusion of the two sounds. Her on-stage performances often took on a risqué tone with her language and jokes. LaSalle was born Ora Denise Allen in Mississippi on July 16, 1939. According to reports, she took LaSalle as her stage name after she moved to Chicago in her teens and started singing. Her debut solo single, 1967’s “A Love Reputation,” laid the groundwork for what would soon become her signature LaSalle sound. LaSalle then started working with legendary Memphis producer Willie Mitchell. Their union helped to make her a household name with songs like “Hung Up, Strung Out” in 1970, and her signature tune “Trapped by a Thing Called Love” in 1971. “Trapped by a Thing Called Love,” which she also wrote, hit the top of Billboard’s R&B chart LaSalle is also well known for the ’70s song, “Now Run and Tell That.” Making Her Mark on America’s Music Culture Mississippi’s Malaco label became her home where she officially became known as a blues singer. She credits the genre change for breathing life into her career in an interview with Blues Blast. “It gave my career a new start, because I was kind of lost in the shuffle as an R&B singer,” says Denise. “When I got the opportunity to become a blues singer in 1982, I accepted it. There was no real competition, except the real Queen of the Blues, Koko Taylor, (and) except for Etta James. These were the only ladies out there that was really doing anything, cutting records and getting airplay. It was kind of the place to be.” LaSalle penned other songs like “Your Husband is Cheating on Us,” “I Wanna Do What’s on Your Mind” and “It’s Lying Time Again,” a cover of Rockin’ Sidney’s “My Toot Toot,” that she called “My Tu Tu,” and “Love Me Right.” In the ’90s, LaSalle turned her focus to gospel music; and in 1999 released the album God’s Got My Back. She crossed back over to secular music for her 2002 album Still the Queen and she continued on that path through her 2010 album 24 Hour Woman. LaSalle was inducted into Blues Hall of Fame in 2011, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2015. The National Museum of African American Music also honored Lasalle in 2014. NMAAM Rhapsody & Rhythm Award “Denise LaSalle shaped American music,” H. Beecher Hicks III, president and CEO of the National Museum of African American Music, said in a statement. “Her personality, her music and the role she played in shaping her genre truly made her the Queen of Blues. We were proud to honor her with NMAAM’s inaugural Rhapsody & Rhythm award in 2014, and to have truly experienced the reach of her craft and her impact on Jefferson Street when we jammed with her during the Jefferson Street Jazz and Blues Festival that year. Her legacy is a vivid illustration of the many ways R&B, blues and soul have blended to create America’s soundtrack.” In an interview with the Jackson Sun in March 2017, LaSalle announced plans to open a Denise LaSalle Blues Academy of Performing Arts to teach the youth about the Blues. She was also on track to release her third gospel album The Gospel Truth. You can read more about the musical legends by visiting the the National Museum of African American Music website. 1. Snap Crackle and Pop [Explicit] 2. I'm Still The Queen [Explicit] 3. You Don't Live Here No More 4. I Tried 5, Down Home Blues [X-Rated]
