Esther Phillips (December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer… Read Full Bio ↴Esther Phillips (December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer. Phillips was known for her R&B vocals, but she was a versatile singer, also performing pop, country, jazz, blues and soul music.

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

Out Of The Blue
Esther Phillips Lyrics

We have lyrics for 'Out Of The Blue' by these artists:

3ple-D Yeah, yeah, yeah Woah, woah Sonny D Woah Pull up out the blu…
78violet (Aly & AJ) When somethings pure How can people just say We're not mean…
9nine 今日はとても晴れてて指先に光るネイル携帯の液晶をタッチしながら歩く白いイヤフォン青いパーカー引いたライン …
aaron pritchett Man, I needed this Check another one off the bucket list…
Abstract & ELLIS! Transparency What you get is what you see Transparency It's …
adam daylight I parted away from yesterday Reconstructed what I knew Quest…
Adore Delano Last call on the boulevard City of love and broken hearts Cr…
Alan Parson Out of the blue I come sailing Through the years Through the…
Alkeme Out of the blue, Feelings of you Dancing around my open…

Allora A vicious cycle on repeat Endlessly consuming The darkness t…
Aly & A.J. When somethings pure How can people just say We're not me…
Aly & AJ When somethings pure How can people just say We're not mean…
Aly and AJ When somethings pure How can people just say We're not me…
Arno Carstens Sweet sounds, the melodies of dawn Sung by the bird of…
Arvid Nero If i could Spirit your heart Pounding slow and numb If I cou…
Ash Not feeling, broken-hearted Feeling just like when it starte…
Astarti String Orchestra ******************************** I'm a man without a soul...…
Astarti String Orchestra/The The ******************************** I'm a man without a soul..…
Astarti String Orchestra; The The ******************************** I'm a man without a soul...…
Babel Fish Just when you thought You'd run out of date and time And…
Babelfish Just when you thought You'd run out of date and time And…
Bad Boys Blue We walked through the dark. You'll know we'll land. I was su…
Bailiff Saving grace Watching planes at the runway Mud on your Sunda…
Balzac Go! Out of the Blue! Take advance of your fear Go! Out…
Bill Draper And there she is Your starry eyed Love sweeps in Like a devi…
Blondfire I'd let you know, Where to go, If I ever saw your…
Blue Swede & Björn Skifs If ever you are in trouble girl And need a helping…
Bread Boy Dance if you can little bird No one's gonna stop you No…
Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music All you cares Now they seem Oh so far away All your fears I…
Caissie Levy Each day I watch the sun risin' up over the…
Casablancas Julian Somewhere along the way, my hopefulness turned to sadness So…
Chad Brownlee Street lights on a nowhere road Same old songs on the…
Courtney Govan I wanna live like i'm dying I push it close to…
D. P. Knudten Yeah, yeah, yeah Woah, woah Sonny D Woah Pull up out the blu…
D.J.Ultradance Money maker Oh, that paper chaser Smoke my flavor Won't do n…
Da L.E.S. Oh, she comes on like a fog And then she goes…
David Gilmour Out of the blue on the wings of a dove A…
David Kramer Was the ticket of the Sputnic Was the time of the…
Debbie Gibson Ooh, ooh Whoa, whoa Ooh, yeah Without you, without you I a…
Deborah Gibson Without you, without you I always thought that Ev'rything …
Delta Goodrem A new beginning, a new chapter of my life Started the…
Delta Goodrem(黛尔塔) A new beginning A new chapter of my life Started the…
Desoto Jones Sleeping sound in the middle of september, just a few…
Devo / Neil Young My my, hey hey Rock and roll is here to stay It's…
Diners Was thinkin' about you, I was thinking about you in this…
dominic halpin I know that wild birds must fly And beautiful flowers must…
dontaskalex cre you really talking to me? It didn't take you long…
DOWOON 문득 길을 걷다가 떠오른 생각 언제부터 나는 내가 된 걸까 한…
Dream State Fuck! Can't you stay? Time just keeps slipping away Won't y…
Em Glasser I'm confused by the messages you're texting me. I know you,…
Equatronic I'm driving through the gloomy streets at night passing peo…
Eric & The Soo Intro: Chorus: Out of the blue, Out of the blue Out of the…
Fleurie Notes on your car Notes in the air Forget where we parked Fo…
Foreigner Not a lot of time to think today It's almost over…
Funhouse I've been spinning around in a haze of confusion Trying to…
George Benson Should love forget you Forget she ever met you True love wil…
George Harrison - Instrumental -…
Gilmour (David) Out of the blue on the wings of a dove A…
Giuffria Out of the blue, deep in the night. Somebody calls to…
GRAND You woke me one morning With a sorrowful look in your…
gray dream Out of the blue I want to go This is my fate I…
Hall & John You said you never loved me, it was all a…
Head East Out of the blue, I ran into you Touchin' my head,…
Here On Earth Would you come down People pray for over two thousand years …
James Yoouuu I'll see you soon I stopped feeling down Right out of…
James Brown - instrumental -…
Joe August For the first time in a long time I walked…
Joe Cocker [Chorus:] Out of this world Out of this mind Out of this lov…
Joelistics Out of the blue It all changed in an instant He was…
Joelistics feat. Kaity Dunstan Out of the blue it all changed in an instant He…
John Lennon Out the blue you came to me And blew away life's…
Johnny Reid Getting through the house of lows And learning how to just…
Jon Bryant Since I wrote you, I've been pining Wondering what you might…
Joy Frost I know why they color the sky It's just the air…
Julia Murney & Brian d'Arcy James QUEENIE Some girls have diamonds to wear Feelings to share S…
Julian Casablancas Somewhere along the way, my hopefulness turned to sadness So…
Kanto 갑자기 나타났지 너란 가치 너랑 같이 하고픈 일이 많지 딱 봐도…
Katie Pruitt You must've come from out of the blue No other color…
lentra (Do you still love me like you don't?) Uh, don't, uh Do…
Lucy Mason It was you and I Driving fast through red lines Laughing 'ti…
M.L.T.R I don't fear no one but God Cause God knows all…
Maëlle Taina You, you live your life for no one else but…
Mav Not feeling, broken hearted Feeling just like when it start…
Max Parker I haven’t seen you since last Friday That was the night…
Maysa Out of the blue into my heart Wasn't expecting you so…
Maysa (Soul) Out of the blue into my heart Wasn't expecting you so…
Michael Learns to Rock I was almost about to lose my faith was still…
Mike & The Mechanics On a lonely planet There's chaos and there's high And everyb…
Molly Nilsson Out of the blue Out of the sorrow and into the…
N' Harmony I′m getting anxious to see my sweet Jesus He promised that…
NO FACE NO CASE Oh shit, guess who's back PRGBD motherfucker Ha ha You are a…
Nogizaka46 正直になんかなれるわけない本当の自分は最低で誰にも言えないような醜い胸の奥 (嫌われたくないじゃない?) 笑顔の下…
Nomotion Out of the blue Into this world We can't break the rules…
On No On Oh shit, guess who's back PRGBD motherfucker Ha ha You are a…
Paul Roberts Ain't no use in cutting corners no use at all in…
Peter Carlsohn's The Rise In the night the clouds getting darker In the night my hope …
Peter Frampton Here I am on the road again Don't Know where I'm…
Phil Manzanera Ferry-Manzanera All your cares now they seem, oh, so far …
Pink Floyd / David Gilmour Out of the blue on the wings of a dove A…
Pretty Young I didn't mean to fall for you But then you hit…
Prides The air in your lungs is like thunder I can see…
punctual Oh, I’m not getting no younger Day by day I watch…
Reba McEntire Out of the blue I needed someone to take me Out of…
Red & White So much comes to nothing Nothing lasts forever Forever is a …
Rini Came out of the blue Girl, I had no clue until…
Robert Hazard Out on the street, all of you trouble boys You're all…
Robert Wyatt No need to wipe your feet The welcome mat's not there I'll…
Roxy Music All you cares Now they seem Oh so far away All your fears I…
Ryan Leslie I light a candle for you tonight, yea Said I reminisce…
Scott Seskind Please don't make me apologize for the pain that I can…
Serena Ryder I can't believe that when you said that you needed…
Simon Field Deep down, slowly suffocating And that's the truth Lost…
SiXforNinE My feelings getting colder And my heart is getting weaker a…
Sub Focus Love is a potion mixed up by careless fools And it…
Suzzy Roche you gave me a flower you gave me a ring you're making…
Tarmat OUT OF THE BLUE Well, my feet can't touch The ground…
The Alan Parsons Project Out of the blue I come sailing Through the years Through the…
The Amazing Rhythm Aces It's alright If you need a shoulder for a while It's alright…
The Angels Are you still hanging out, still not making out doin' well…
The Band Palish faces walking down the street With polished shoes and…
The Black Lillies You called me up out of the blue How you been,…
The Horizons Darkness fades to blue And daybreak breaks through Lights gi…
The James Brown Orchestra - instrumental -…
The Philosopher Kings I've been waiting here for years Standing in the cold Wait…
The Prides The air in your lungs is like thunder I can see…
The Rocks I was almost about to lose my faith was still…
The Steel Woods I'm not sure what has changed Since yesterday But the birds…
The The I'm a man without a soul...Honey Who lost it while parading…
Tommy James I was so downhearted, baby, till I met with you. Oh,…
Tommy James & The Shondells I was so downhearted, baby, till I met with you. Oh,…
Vargas Blues Band i'm down and out 'neath some dark cloud what in the…
velvet room I see this rainbow in my mind All that's missing is…
Wade Midnight in the promised land Oh, say, can you see Families …
Willy Porter I never sent you a birthday card, just some positive…
Zuli Jr. Steady in my Stable Sharpie on the walls of my…
도운 문득 길을 걷다가 떠오른 생각 언제부터 나는 내가 된 걸까 한…

We have lyrics for these tracks by Esther Phillips:

'til Me Back Ain't Got No Bone Standing in the rain I can feel a cold chill Up and…
'Tis Autumn D …
A Beautiful Friendship This is the end of a beautiful friendship, It ended a…
Aged I've got a strange philosophy Nothing here appeals to me I l…
Alone Again In a little while from now If I'm not feeling any…
Am I That Easy To Forget You say you've found somebody new But that won't stop my…
And I Love Him I give him all my love that's all I do and if…
Baby What makes me treat you the way I do Gee,…
Baby I'm for Real Baby, baby, ooh Baby, baby you just don't understand How mu…
Be Honest With Me Be honest with me, dear Whatever you do Remember, you're my …
Brand New Day When all the dark clouds roll away And the sun begins…
Brother Brother Oh, brother, brother, brother I know you've been layin back …
Bye Bye Blackbird Pack up all my care and woe Here I go, singin'…
C. C. Rider said see, see, see rider Oh, see what you have done I…
can Today I passed you on the street And my heart fell…
Catch Me I Everybody loves somebody sometime Everybody falls in love s…
Crazy Tonight I'm gonna break away Just you wait and see I've neve…
Do Right Woman Do Right Man Take me to heart and I'll always love you And nobody…
Dream Oooh-wooh-oooh-wah-aah Ooooooooh-oooh-wah-aah Sweet dreams,…
Ev Every time we say goodbye, I die a little Every time…
Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye Every time we say goodbye, I die a little Every time…
Every Time We Say Goodbye Every time we say goodbye, I die a little Every time…
Fa Fa Fa Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa I keep …
Fever Never know how much I love you Never know how much…
Fools Rush In "Romance is a game for fools" I used to say A game…
For All We Know For all we know We may never meet again Before we go Make…
From a Whisper to a Scream From a whisper in the wind To a loud scream The message…
Girl from epanema Tall and tan and young and lovely The girl from Ipanema…
Hello Walls Hello, walls - (hello) (hello) How'd things go for you today…
Home Is Where the Hatred Is A junkie walking through the twilight I'm on my way home I…
I You and I must make a pact We must bring salvation…
I Can Stand a Little Rain I can stand a little rain, I can stand a little…
I Can't Help It Today I passed you on the street And my heart fell…
I Could Have Told You So I could have told you she would hurt you, She'd love…
I Don't Want to Do Wrong I, I don't wanna do wrong But you've been gone, gone…
I Got A Guy The poets say that all who love are blind But I'm…
I Love Paris Every time I look down on this timeless town Whether blue…
I Really Don How many arms have held you And hated to let you…
I Wish You Love Goodbye, No use leading with our chins, This is where our…
I'd Fight The World I don't care what anybody thinks of me My pride is…
I'll Be There You and I must make a pact We must bring salvation…
I'm A Bad Bad Girl I′m a bad girl Just as bad as I can be Yes,…
I'm A Bad, Bad Girl I’m a bad girl Just as bad as I can be Yes,…
I'm in Love I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
I'm Sorry I'm sorry, so sorry That I was such a fool…
I've Forgotten More Than You'll Ever Know About Him You think you know the smile on his lips The thrill…
I've Never Found A Man Isaiah 55: 6-7 6 Seek the LORD while He may be…
If It Today I passed you on the street And my heart fell…
In The Evenin When your good gal done quit ya And the sun is…
It Could Happen To You Hide your heart from sight, Lock your dreams at night, It co…
It's So Good The poets say that all who love are blind But I'm…
Just Out Of Reach Love that runs away from me Dreams that just won't let…
Just Say Goodbye I can't forget the night you told me that you…
Let There Be Love Let there be you, Let there be me. Let there…
Love Oh Love I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
Makin' Whoopee Another bride, another June Another sunny honeymoon Another …
Misery Can't you find A little space in your heart, For a fool…
Mo Jo Hannah Thendral Vanthu Theendum Pothu Enna Vannamo Manasula Thingal…
Native New Yorker New York girl, ooh, ooh, ooh Runnin' pretty, New York City…
No Headstone On My Grave Oh, don't, don't, don't Don't put no headstone on my grave. …
One Night Affair Hey, wine me and dine me Take me in a way…
Party The party's over, it's time to call it a day They've…
Party's Over The party's over, it's time to call it a day They've…
People People, People who need people, Are the luckiest people in t…
Philadelphia Freedom I used to be a rolling stone You know if the…
Please Send Me Someone to Love Heaven please send to all mankind, Understanding and peace o…
Release Me Please release me, let me go I don't love you anymore To…
Romance In The Dark In the dark It's just you and I Not a sound Ther's not…
S.O.S Hey, hey, hey I'm sending out an S.O.S. Hey, hey, hey I'm…
S.O.S. Hey, hey, hey I'm sending out an S.O.S. Hey, hey, hey I'm se…
Shangri-La Your kisses take me to Shangri-La Each kiss is magic that…
Some Things You Never Get Used To Some things you never get used to It's the same routine…
Somebody Else Is Taking My Place Somebody else is taking my place, Somebody else now shares y…
Such A Night 'T was a night mmmmm, what a night it was…
Sweet Dreams Oooh-wooh-oooh-wah-aah Ooooooooh-oooh-wah-aah Sweet dreams,…
That's All Right with Me If you wanna make love to me If you want to…
The Blues I've got a strange philosophy Nothing here appeals to me I l…
The Deacon Moves In Look out fat deacon Do ya really think about we kind Well…
The Girl From Ipanema Tall and tan and young and lovely The girl from Ipanema…
The Party The party's over, it's time to call it a day They've…
The Shadow Of Your Smile The shadow of your smile When you have gone Will color all…
Tis Autumn D …
Tomorrow Night I'm sorry, so sorry That I was such a fool I didn't…
Try Me If you really wanna know if I can stand your…
Turn Around Look At Me There is someone walking behind you, Turn around, look at…
Unforgettable Unforgettable That's what you are Unforgettable Tho' near or…
Ups and Downs Every dog has his day Another thirty nine inch thick classi…
Use Me My friends feel it's their appointed duty They keep trying t…
We've Got a Good Thing Going Bad news, bad news I heard you're packing to leave I come…
What A Diff What a diff'rence a day made Twenty-four little hours Brough…
When A Woman Loves A Man I'm in love, yes I am I'm in love, yes I…
Why Should We Try Anymore What's the use to deny? We've been living a lie That…
You Goodbye, No use leading with our chins, This is where our…

You Can Today I passed you on the street And my heart fell…

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