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
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
Your Love Is so Doggone Good
Esther Phillips Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Your Love Is so Doggone Good' by these artists:
Ray Charles Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks…
The Whispers Hmm, mmm, mmm, mmm I'm gonna keep on checkin' on you,…
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…
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…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@cityzen2717
Hmm, mmm, mmm, mmm
I'm gonna keep on checkin' on you, yeah
I've got to know everything you do
Whoa, I want to watch every move you make
I've got to know every step you take
Cause your love, baby
I say that your love, yeah, yeah, yeah
Is so doggone good
I've got to know where you are every day, yes, I do
Cause I don't want you givin' what's mine away
I've got to know whenever you come, yeah
Where it is you're gonna be comin' from
Cause your love, listen
I say that your love, yeah, yeah, yeah
Is so doggone good
I've got to find a way to keep you, yes, I do
Your good lovin' under lock and key
Maybe, oh, maybe, give me a carpet ride
So I'll have good lovin' each and every night
Cause your love, your love, your love
I say that your love, yeah, yeah, yeah
Is so doggone good
You know that your love, baby
Is so doggone good, yeah
Got to have your love, I need, I need, I need
I'm gonna watch every move you make, every step you take
@nlmoss
She was wonderful. I saw her on a PBS special from The Boarding House in San Francisco, probably in the 60s. Thanks for posting Esther Phillips!
@johnstriker480
What a relaxing tune <3
@jasonpfinch
Brilliant album from beginning to end.
@bennyhart6874
very talented
@articulatemadness
From A Whisper To A Scream...The most emotionally kick ass albeit tragic album ever recorded alongside Billie Holliday's Lady In Satin. Pain, man. Pure Pain.
@BayeKambui
Goodness. Yes, ABM ...
@BayeKambui
Thanks, @nlmoss. I'll have to look for that PBS special...
@cityzen2717
Hmm, mmm, mmm, mmm
I'm gonna keep on checkin' on you, yeah
I've got to know everything you do
Whoa, I want to watch every move you make
I've got to know every step you take
Cause your love, baby
I say that your love, yeah, yeah, yeah
Is so doggone good
I've got to know where you are every day, yes, I do
Cause I don't want you givin' what's mine away
I've got to know whenever you come, yeah
Where it is you're gonna be comin' from
Cause your love, listen
I say that your love, yeah, yeah, yeah
Is so doggone good
I've got to find a way to keep you, yes, I do
Your good lovin' under lock and key
Maybe, oh, maybe, give me a carpet ride
So I'll have good lovin' each and every night
Cause your love, your love, your love
I say that your love, yeah, yeah, yeah
Is so doggone good
You know that your love, baby
Is so doggone good, yeah
Got to have your love, I need, I need, I need
I'm gonna watch every move you make, every step you take
@BayeKambui
Thank you, @jazz29171 !
@touchandgo98
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