Jean Knight, the voice behind it Mr. Big BusinessOne of the most famous songs from the 1970s funk era has died at the age of 80.
Knight’s longtime publicist confirmed her death to multiple media outlets. Bernie Cyrus, executive director of the Louisiana Music Commission and a longtime friend of Knight, also confirmed the news to Rolling Stone. She died of natural causes.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Knight recorded her first demo track in 1965, a cover of Jackie Wilson’s Stop chasing. After a series of regionally successful singles, Knight received widespread mainstream recognition Mr. Big Business, her first recording for Stax Records. The song spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts and then peaked on the pop charts. The record remained on both charts for 16 weeks.
Mr. Big Business went double platinum and sold over two million records. Knight was nominated for a Grammy for the single. Over the years, the single has been prominently featured in numerous films and television shows, including Spike Lee’s Crooklyn, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Simpsons, And The two. Of the title’s royalties in 2002, Knight said: “Mr. Big Business I feel better today than 31 years ago. All I have to do is sit at home and wait for the postman.”
In 1972, Jean again reached the R&B charts Keep going. Her final recording for Stax, the song, was considered a regional success. Prior to recording for Stax, Knight also recorded for the Houston-based label Jet Stream. Jet Stream also had Barbara Lynn and Bobby Patterson and the Mustangs on the label.
Source: Deadline
Bernice Bonaparte is an author and entertainment journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a passion for pop culture and a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest entertainment news, Bernice has become a trusted source for information on the entertainment industry.
