Veteran R&B Singer Marlena Shaw Dies At 81
After becoming well-known for her rendition of the song “California Soul,” American soul and jazz vocalist Marlena Shaw passed away at 81. Although Shaw was born in 1942, her professional life began in the early 1960s in the jazz clubs of New Rochelle, New York. Her big break came in 1966, when she was signed by Chicago’s Chess Records, an R&B/blues label. Over the next forty years, she recorded multiple albums, with Columbia Records’ 1977 release “Sweet Beginnings” being her highest charting record. On Friday evening, January 19, Marla, Shaw’s daughter, verified the information on her personal Facebook page.
Marla said,
“Hello everyone, it is with a very heavy heart that for myself and my family, I announce that our beloved mother, your beloved icon and artist, Marlena Shaw, has passed away today at 12:03.”
“She was peaceful, we were at peace.”
Originally intended to be a modest album track for Shaw’s 1969 LP “The Spice of Life,” “California Soul” became a highly sought-after record for early hip-hop samplers and collectors of rare grooves. In addition to being substantially sampled by Gang Starr for their 1990 single “Check the Technique,” DJ Shadow, Diplo, and Nightmares on Wax have all added their versions of the song. With over 100 million Spotify plays, the music—composed by Ashford & Simpson and initially recorded by The Messengers—became a favourite with TV advertisers.
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