Born Esther Mae Jones in Galveston, Texas, when she was an adolescent, her parents divorced, and she was forced to divide her time between her father in Houston and her mother in the Watts area of Los Angeles. Because she was brought up singing in church, she was hesitant to enter a talent contest at a local blues club, but her sister insisted and she complied. A mature singer at age fourteen, she won the amateur talent contest in 1949 at the Barrelhouse Club owned by Johnny Otis. Otis was so impressed that he recorded her for Modern Records and added her to his traveling revue, the California Rhythm and Blues Caravan, billed as 'Little Esther Phillips' (she reportedly took the surname from a gas station sign).
Her first hit record was Double Crossing Blues, recorded in 1950 for Savoy Records. After several hit records with Savoy, including her duet with Mel Walker on Mistrusting Blues, which went to number one that year, as did "Cupid Boogie". Other Phillips records that made it onto the U.S. Billboard R&B chart in 1950 include "Misery" (number 9), "Deceivin' Blues" (number 4), "Wedding Boogie" (number 6), and "Faraway Blues" (number 6). Few female artists, R&B or otherwise, had ever enjoyed such success in their debut year. Phillips left Otis and the Savoy label at the end of 1950 and signed with Federal Records.
But just as quickly as the hits had started, they stopped. Although she recorded more than thirty sides for Federal, only one, Ring-a-Ding-Doo, charted; the song made it to number 8 in 1952. Not working with Otis was part of her problem; the other part was her drug usage. By the middle of the decade Phillips was chronically addicted to drugs.
In 1954, she returned to Houston to live with her father to recuperate. Short on money, she worked in small nightclubs around the South, punctuated by periodic hospital stays in Lexington, Kentucky, stemming from her addiction. In 1962, Kenny Rogers re-discovered her while singing at a Houston club and got her signed to his brother Lelan’s Lenox label.
Phillips ultimately got well enough to launch a comeback in 1962. Now billed as Esther Phillips instead of Little Esther, she recorded a country tune, Release Me, with producer Bob Gans. This went to number 1 R&B and number 8 on the pop listings. After several other minor R&B hits on Lenox, she was signed by Atlantic Records. Her cover of The Beatles' song And I Love Him nearly made the R&B Top Ten in 1965 and the Beatles flew her to the UK for her first overseas performances.
She had other hits in the 1960s on the label, but no more chart toppers, and she waged a battle with heroin dependency. With her addiction worsening, Phillips checked into a rehab facility. While undergoing treatment, she cut some sides for Roulette in 1969, mostly produced by Lelan Rogers. On her release, she moved back to Los Angeles and re-signed with the Atlantic label. A late 1969 gig at Freddie Jett's Pied Piper club produced the album Burnin'. She performed with the Johnny Otis Show at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1970.
One of her biggest post-1950s triumphs was in 1972 with her first album for Kudu Records. The song penned by Gil Scott-Heron, Home Is Where the Hatred Is, - an account of drug use — was lead track on From a Whisper to a Scream which went on to be nominated for a Grammy Award. When Phillips lost to Aretha Franklin, the latter presented the trophy to Phillips, saying she should have won it instead.
Taylor continued to cut albums with her until in 1975, she scored her biggest hit single since "Release Me" with a disco-style update of Dinah Washington's What a Diff'rence a Day Makes. It reached a high of a Top 20 chart appearance in the U.S., and Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. On November 8, 1975 she performed the song on an episode of NBC's Saturday Night hosted by Candice Bergen. The accompanying album of the same name became her biggest seller yet, with arranger Joe Beck on guitar, Michael Brecker on tenor sax, David Sanborn on alto sax, and Randy Brecker on trumpet to Steve Khan on guitar and Don Grolnick on keyboards.
She continued to record and perform throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, completing a total of seven albums on Kudu and four with Mercury Records, for whom she signed in 1977. In 1983, she charted for the final time on a tiny independent label, Winning with Turn Me Out, which reached #85 R&B. She completed recording her final album a few months before her death, but it was not until 1986 that the label (Muse) released the record.
Phillips died at UCLA Medical Center in Carson, California in 1984, at the age of 48 from liver and kidney failure due to drug use. Her funeral services were conducted by Johnny Otis, and she was buried in the Morning Light section, at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. The bronze marker recognizes her career achievements, as well as quoting a Bible passage, "In My Father's House Are Many Mansions" - St. John 14:2
And I Love Him
Esther Phillips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
that's all I do
and if you saw my love
you'd love him too
I love him
He gives me ev'rything
and tenderly
the kiss my lover brings
and I love him
A love like ours
could never die
as long as I
have you near me
Bright are the stars that shine
dark is the sky
I know this love of mine
will never die
and I love him
Bright are the stars that shine
dark is the sky
I know this love of mine
will never die
and I love him
Esther Phillips's And I Love Him is a powerful love ballad that speaks about a love that can never die. The lyrics are simple yet poignant, reflecting on the depth of love that the singer shares with her lover. In the opening lines, the singer declares that she gives her lover all her love, and if anyone was to see it, they too would love him. It is evident that the singer is completely devoted to her lover and willing to give him everything she has.
As the song progresses, the singer speaks fondly of her lover, describing the tenderness of his kisses and how he brings her everything she needs. The repetition of 'and I love him' at the end of every verse reinforces the strength of her love for him. The chorus speaks about the durability of their love, how it will never die as long as they are together. The imagery of bright stars and dark skies evoke a sense of timelessness, like their love will last forever.
Overall, And I Love Him is a beautiful love song that celebrates the power and intensity of love. The simple yet heartfelt lyrics remind us of the beauty of devoting oneself to another person completely and unconditionally.
Line by Line Meaning
I give him all my love
I dedicate all my love to him, nothing less nothing more.
that's all I do
Loving him is my sole purpose and is something I am inclined to do always.
and if you saw my love
If you ever got to witness me loving him, you'd see how intense it is and might even end up loving him too.
you'd love him too
My love for him is so compelling, you too would fall for him if you saw what he means to me.
He gives me ev'rything
He provides me with all that I need, he's my everything.
and tenderly
He does it gently and lovingly.
the kiss my lover brings
Whenever he kisses me, he brings all his love and affection with it.
He brings to me
Immense feelings of happiness and contentment.
and I love him
I deeply and truly love him with all of my heart.
A love like ours
Our love is special and unique and cannot be compared to any other.
could never die
Our love is everlasting and would stand the test of time.
as long as I
As far as I am concerned.
have you near me
As long as he is by my side.
Bright are the stars that shine
The stars that shine in the sky are a vivid representation of the love he has for me.
dark is the sky
The darkness that curtains the night sky is a constant reminder of how tempting and desirable his love is.
I know this love of mine
I am completely aware of the strength and purity of my love for him.
will never die
My love for him would never fade away or get weakened.
and I love him
I deeply and truly love him with all of my heart.
Contributed by Parker P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@karenmoukoukenoff6893
I give him all my love
That's all I do
And if you saw my love
You'd love him too and I love him
He gives me everything
And tenderly
The kiss my lover brings
He brings to me I love him
A love like ours
Could never die
As long as I
Have you near me
Bright are the stars that shine
Dark is the sky
I know this love of mine
Will never die and I love him
@dorothyedwards9520
I discovered Esther Pillips music in 1963 (then known as Little Esther) & still love her music today One of my sons stopped by one night & I was listening to her music He said "Mom I can't believe that you are still listening to Little Esther music it's been 50 some years" I just said "She's Esther Pillips now" & her music just as fantastic now as it was then"
@harmonichebe
dorothy another gem discovered by the late and great rev. johnny otis. Be Blessed
@jasonpfinch
She's so brilliant
@jasonpfinch
from Houston
@natashapettigrew6031
A Purity and sincerity powerful and peaceful at the same, lovely really 🌟🌟🌟
@scottcampbell5478
Love this comment
This version just blew the Beatles away they loved it and brought Esther to the U.K. to appear with them on a T.V. special. - John Thorpe
@reinaldoreis1191
A letra muda de uma versão para a outra?
@1lordthorpe
This version just blew the beatles away they loved it and brought Esther to the U.K. to appear with them on a T.V. special.
@jamesprevard6555
She was not only the embodiment of (women) beauty class & talent but a black woman that struggled threw adversities in her life time!RIP.
@valeriechapman1612
She’s got a beautifully clear voice and very silky smooth.
If Paul McCartney says he loves her music then there’s no more to be said, is there !!! Delightful