Mabel John, who recorded for Motown and Stax and later worked with Ray Charles, died on August 25 at her Los Angeles home. Her grandson, Kevin John, confirmed her death but did not provide a cause. She was 91 years old.
“We loved her and she was a nice person,” said Kevin John of his aunt, the older sister of R&B star Baby Willie John.
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John has had a rich musical career. She was the first solo artist to sign with Motown (then Tamla Records) from Berry Gordy Jr. and recorded the songs “Who Wouldn’t Love A Man Like That”, “Actions Speak Louder Than Words”, “No Love” , “Looking For A Man ‘and’ Take Me ‘, the latter with background harmonies from The Temptations.
John left Motown in the mid-1960s to join the Memphis-based Stax Records label. There he joined the songwriting team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter for the 1966 hit “Your Good Thing (Is About to End)”, which peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot R&B chart and number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100. the song was later performed by Lou Rawls, Etta James, Bonnie Raitt and others.
After Stax, John became music director and lead singer of Ray Charles’ backing band, The Raelettes. During his ten years there, he collaborated on dozens of songs.
After working with Charles, John left the music business to become a minister and founded Joy Community Outreach in Los Angeles, which helps feed and clothe the homeless.
He made his screen debut as a veteran blues singer in the 2007 John Sayles film. honey dispenserand appeared in an Academy Award-winning documentary 20 feet from the star.
John was born on November 3, 1930 in Bastrop, Louisiana. The eldest of nine children, he moved to Detroit in the early 1940s and found a job at the Amistad Mutual Insurance Company, founded by Bertha Gordy, the mother of young music producer Berry Gordy Jr.
“He became my voice coach, my manager and, within a few years, my record producer,” recalled John, author Susan Whithall, according to Motown Classic. website.
John made his professional musical debut at Detroit’s Flame Show Bar, where he opened for Billie Holiday in 1959. The year before, he signed with Gordy’s Tamla Records, the label that became Motown.
Information on survivors and memorial plans was not immediately available.
Source: Deadline
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
