Rita Coolidge

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Rita Coolidge

Rita Coolidge, 2002
Background information
Birth name Rita Coolidge
Born May 1, 1945 (1945-05-01) (age 66)
Origin Lafayette, Tennessee, United States
Genres Pop, Adult Contemporary, Country, Native American[1]
Occupations Singer
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1969–present
Labels A&M Records
Associated acts Eric Clapton, Leon Russell, Kris Kristofferson, Joe Cocker
Website Rita Coolidge official website

Rita Coolidge (born May 1, 1945) is a multiple Grammy Award-winning American vocalist. During the 1970s and 1980s, she charted hits on Billboard's Pop, Country, Adult Contemporary and Jazz charts.[1]

Contents

[edit] Career

She became known as "The Delta Lady" and inspired Leon Russell to write a song of the same name for her.[2] In November 1970, she met Kris Kristofferson at the LA airport when they were both catching the same flight to Tennessee and he got off in Memphis with her rather than go on his originally planned stop in Nashville; the two married in 1973. With him, she recorded several duet albums which sold well, and earned them a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1974 for "From the Bottle to the Bottom", and in 1976 for "Lover Please". Willie Nelson references her in Devil in a Sleepin' Bag on Shotgun Willie, saying 'Just got back from New York City, Kris (Kristofferson) and Rita (Coolidge) done it all/ Bought perfection there for all the world to see/ Lord, I heard an angel singing in that Philharmonic Hall/ Rita Coolidge, Rita Coolidge, cleft for me'.

[edit] Personal life

Coolidge was born in Lafayette, Tennessee. She is of Scottish and Cherokee Native American ancestry.[3][4]

Coolidge was married to Kris Kristofferson from 1973–1980.[1] They have one daughter, Casey. Coolidge previously had romantic liaisons with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash; her leaving Stills for Nash has been cited as a contributing factor behind the initial 1970 breakup of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.[5]

Coolidge now lives in Fallbrook, a small town in southern California. She is a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.[6]

[edit] Walela

In 1997, Coolidge was one of the founding members of Walela, a Native American music trio, that also includes Coolidge's sister Priscilla and Priscilla's daughter Laura Satterfield. The trio released studio albums in 1997 (Walela) and 2000 (Unbearable Love), a live album and DVD (Live in Concert) in 2004 and a compilation album (The Best of Walela) in 2007.[7] Walela means hummingbird in Cherokee.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums (North American)

Year Album Peak positions Label
US US Country CAN
1971 Rita Coolidge 105 71 A&M
Nice Feelin' 135
1972 The Lady's Not for Sale 46 27
1974 Fall Into Spring 55 41
1975 It's Only Love 85
1977 Anytime...Anywhere 6 23 4
1978 Love Me Again 32 39
1979 Satisfied 95 58
1980 Greatest Hits 107 47
1981 Heartbreak Radio 160
1983 Never Let You Go
1984 Inside the Fire
1992 Love Lessons Caliber/Critique
1996 Out of the Blues Beacon
1998 Thinkin' About You Innerworks
2005 And So Is Love Concord

[edit] Albums with Kris Kristofferson

Year Album Peak positions Label
US Country US CAN
1973 Full Moon 1 26 7 A&M
1974 Breakaway 19 103 81 Monument
1978 Natural Act 24 106 A&M

[edit] International albums

Year Album Label
1990 Fire Me Back Attic
1991 Dancing with an Angel
1993 For You Alpha
1995 Behind the Memories Pony Canyon

[edit] Compilation albums

Year Album Label
1979 All About Rita Coolidge (Japanese release) A&M
1980 Greatest Hits
1987 Classics Volume 5
1991 A&M Gold Series (West German release)
1994 All Time High: Best of Rita Coolidge
1995 The Collection (Australian release) Spectrum
1999 Master Series A&M
2000 20th Century Masters - The Millenium Collection
2001 Universal Masters Collection
2004 Delta Lady - The Rita Coolidge Anthology

[edit] Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
US US AC US Country CAN CAN AC CAN Country UK[8]
1969 "Turn Around and Love You" 96 single only
1971 "I Believe in You" 38 16 Rita Coolidge
1972 "Fever" 76 The Lady's Not for Sale
1973 "My Crew"A flip 38
"Whiskey, Whiskey" 106
"A Song I'd Like to Sing" (w/Kris Kristofferson) 49 12 92 53 3 54 Full Moon
1974 "Loving Arms" (w/Kris Kristofferson) 86 25 98 83 9
"Mama Lou" 94 Fall Into Spring
"Rain" (w/Kris Kristofferson) 44 87 40 Breakaway
1975 "Lover Please" (w/Kris Kristofferson) 42
1977 "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher" 2 5 1 3 48 Anytime...Anywhere
"We're All Alone" 7 1 82 5 1 6
1978 "The Way You Do the Things You Do" 20 9 16 6
"Words" 25
"You" 25 3 17 1 Love Me Again
"The Jealous Kind" 63
"Love Me Again" 68 20 83 73 35
1979 "Hello, Love, Goodbye" 27
"One Fine Day" 66 15 89 4 Satisfied
"I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love" 38 3 32 87 1 24
1980 "Somethin' Bout You Baby I Like"
(w/Glen Campbell)
42 39 60 36 23 Somethin' Bout You Baby I Like
(Glen Campbell album)
"Fool That I Am" 46 15 72 52 Coast to Coast soundtrack
1981 "The Closer You Get" 103 16 Heartbreak Radio
1983 "All Time High" 36 1 38 1 75 Octopussy soundtrack
"Only You" 37 Never Let You Go
1984 "Something Said Love" 15 Inside the Fire
1990 "I Stand in Wonder" 49 21 Fire Me Back
  • A B-side of "Fever"

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c [1] AllMusic.com Biography
  2. ^ [2] AllMusic.com Song Review of Delta Lady
  3. ^ "Article – Guess Who's a Cherokee – Rita Coolidge". All Things Cherokee. http://www.allthingscherokee.com/articles_culture_guess_010102.html. Retrieved 2010-04-10. 
  4. ^ "Rita Coolidge Biography". Musicianguide.com. http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608003484/Rita-Coolidge.html. Retrieved 2010-04-10. 
  5. ^ Zimmer, Dave, and Diltz, Henry (1984). Crosby Stills & Nash: The Authorized Biography (First edition), St. Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-17660-0.
  6. ^ Accomplished Alpha Gams, Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.
  7. ^ [3] AllMusic.com Biography of Walela
  8. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 119. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 

[edit] External links

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