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
SWEET DREAMS
Esther Phillips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooooooooh-oooh-wah-aah
Sweet dreams, my love
Angels watching from above
While the Sandman fills your eyes
With sweet dreams, my love and goodnight
Listen to the little dove
Singing you a lullaby
Sweet dreams, my love and goodnight
While the stars are glowing
Like candles in the blue
Close your eyes, my darling
I will dream of you, my darling
Sweet dreams, my love
Angels watching from above
While the Sandman fills your eyes
With sweet dreams, my love and goodnight
While the stars are glowing
Like candles in the blue
Close your eyes, my darling
I will dream of you, my darling
Sweet dreams, my love
Angels watching from above
While the Sandman fills your eyes
With sweet dreams, my love and goodnight
Sweet dreams, my love and goodnight
Wooh-oooh-oooh.
The song "Sweet Dreams" by Esther Phillips is a tender and soothing lullaby that expresses the singer's love and concern for someone she cares about. The lyrics evoke the image of angels watching over and protecting the person as they sleep, while the Sandman puts them at ease and fills their dreams with sweetness. The singer urges her beloved to listen to the little dove singing a lullaby and while the stars glow like candles in the sky and to close their eyes while she dreams of them.
The song's comforting melody and lyrics make it a popular choice for lullabies, and it has been covered by various artists over the years. The gentle vibe of the song is augmented by Esther Phillip's soulful and heartfelt delivery. The song's lyrics are simple yet effective, and they work to create a sense of safety and security that can help to calm and soothe a person during difficult times.
In conclusion, "Sweet Dreams" is a beautiful and timeless love song that celebrates the power of dreams to heal, protect and nurture us. Its strong message of love and tenderness, coupled with its relaxing melody and soothing lyrics, make it a memorable and timeless classic that has stood the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet Dreams, my love
May you have peaceful sleep and happy dreams, my beloved
Angels watching from above
May guardian angels protect and guide you while you sleep
While the Sandman fills your eyes
As you start to drift off and sleep, your eyes slowly close like fine sand being poured over them
With sweet dreams, my love and goodnight
May your dreams be sweet and comforting as you say goodnight
Listen to the little dove
Hear the gentle cooing of the bird as it sings you a soothing song
Singing you a lullaby
Soothing and calming you with its soft and gentle melody to help you fall asleep
While the stars are glowing
As the night sky sparkles with stars brightening your surroundings
Like candles in the blue
The stars look like a sea of candles against a blue sky
Close your eyes, my darling
Please fall asleep and rest peacefully, my love
I will dream of you, my darling
As you sleep, I will think of you fondly and dream of you in my heart
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Don Gibson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ellen Pearl Jackson
the sister sang from her heart and the deepest part of her soul you felt every word you heard every word you smiled every word she sang she truly was a gifted artist I love this woman when she sang I just sat back and listened rest in peace Beautiful Soul Esther Phillips
MerkJan Oosterhoff
Beautiful comment! Totally agree
Thomas Lombardo
One of the great Patsy Cline‘s signature songs. Esther’s rendition is very soulful. 😊
rollin stone
The greatest female vocalist ever!
joseph roache
rollin stone Yes, such a fine singer & a great favorite of mine . But the best ? I’m not sure about that . Is she better than Nina Simone?
WIDEVIEW
@joseph roache // my question would be Dinah Washington, Nancy Wilson, Aretha Franklin, Sarah Vaughan, Esther fits in this class ! This song,? just as well,Singer,Guitarist,songwriterDON GIBSON,wrote SWEET DREAMS in the 1950s.
MerkJan Oosterhoff
@WIDEVIEW don't forget Etta James
MerkJan Oosterhoff
@joseph roache Why compare?
greg lassiter
Esther took a country classic and gave it soul. She is one of only a few who could do that. She has always been one of my favorites I listen to "Too Late to Worry" all the time. She died way too young. Miss her much!
WIDEVIEW
Greg lassiter/ What about Her version of " Release Me" ? released in early 63, not widely publicised, then much later, a massive hit for Englebert, very annoying!!