Baker was born in Chicago, Illinois. She is occasionally referred to as Delores Williams because of an early marriage to Eugene Williams; in the late 1940s she was identified in RCA Victor record company files as "D. L. McMurley." She was the niece of blues singer Merline Johnson and was also related to Memphis Minnie.
She began singing in Chicago clubs such as the Club DeLisa around 1946, often billed as Little Miss Sharecropper, and first recorded under that name in 1949. She changed her name briefly to Bea Baker when recording for Okeh Records in 1951, and then became LaVern Baker when singing with Todd Rhodes and his band in 1952.
In 1953 she signed for Atlantic Records as a solo artist, her first release being "Soul on Fire". Her first hit came in early 1955, with the Latin-tempo "Tweedlee Dee" reaching #4 on the R&B chart and #14 on the national US pop charts. Georgia Gibbs' note-for-note cover of Baker's "Tweedle Dee" reached #1; subsequently Baker made an unsuccessful attempt to sue her and petitioned Congress to consider such covers copyright violations.
Baker had a succession of hits on the R&B charts over the next couple of years with her backing group The Gliders, including "Bop-Ting-A-Ling" (#3 R&B), "Play It Fair" (#2 R&B), and "Still" (#4 R&B). At the end of 1956 she had another smash hit with "Jim Dandy" (#1 R&B, #17 pop). It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Further hits followed for Atlantic, including the follow-up "Jim Dandy Got Married" (#7 R&B), "I Cried a Tear" (#2 R&B, #6 pop in 1959), "I Waited Too Long" (#5 R&B, #3 pop, written by Neil Sedaka), "Saved" (#17 R&B, written by Leiber and Stoller), and "See See Rider" (#9 R&B in 1963).
In addition to singing, Baker also did some work with Ed Sullivan and Alan Freed on TV and in films, including Rock, Rock, Rock and Mr. Rock & Roll. In 1964, she recorded a Bessie Smith tribute album, before leaving Atlantic and joining Brunswick Records, where she recorded the album "Let Me Belong to You".
In 1966, Baker recorded a duet single with Jackie Wilson. The controversial song, "Think Twice", featured raunchy lyrics that were not considered appropriate for airplay at that time or even today. Three versions were recorded, one of which is the X-rated version with the raunchy lyrics.
In the late 1960s, Baker became seriously ill after a trip to Vietnam to entertain American soldiers. While recovering at the US Subic Bay Naval Base in the Philippines, her husband, Slappy White filed for a divorce. A friend recommended that she stay on as the entertainment director at the Marine Corps Staff NCO club there, and she remained there for 22 years.
In 1988 she returned to perform at Madison Square Garden for Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary. She then worked on the soundtracks to films such as Shag, (1989), Dick Tracy, (1990) and A Rage in Harlem (1991), which were all issued on CD.
In 1990, she made her Broadway debut replacing Ruth Brown as star of the hit musical Black and Blue. In 1991, Rhino Records released a new album Live in Hollywood recorded at the Hollywood Roosevelt Cinegrill, as well as a compilation of her greatest Atlantic hits entitled Soul on Fire. In 1992, she recorded a well-received studio album, Woke Up This Morning, for DRG Records. She continued performing after having both legs amputated from diabetes complications in 1994 and made her last recording, "Jump Into the Fire," for the 1995 Harry Nilsson tribute CD, For the Love of Harry on the Music Masters label.
She received the 1990 Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. In 1991, Baker became the second female solo artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, following Aretha Franklin in 1987. Her song "Jim Dandy" was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and was ranked #343 on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
LaVern Baker died from cardiovascular disease on March 10, 1997, at the age of 67. Originally buried in an unmarked plot in Maple Grove Cemetery in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York, her grave received a headstone on May 4, 2008, after a fundraiser was held by local historians.
The Story of My Love
LaVern Baker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always and forever Ill love only you
Just promise me darling your love in return
May this fire in my soul dear forever burn
My hearts at your command dear
To keep love and to hold
Making you happy is my desire dear
Keeping you is my goal
Ill forever love you
For the rest of my days
Ill never part from you
Or your loving ways
Just promise me darling your love in return
May this fire in my soul dear forever burn
My hearts at your command dear
To keep love and to hold
Making you happy is my desire dear
Loving you is my goal
Ill forever love you
For the rest of my days
Ill never part from you
Or your loving ways
Just promise me darling your love in return
May this fire in my soul dear forever burn
The lyrics of LaVern Baker's song "Story of My Love" express a deep and unwavering devotion to a loved one. The singer pledges eternal love and fidelity, promising to keep the flame of passion burning forever. The opening lines "Forever my darling our love will be true / Always and forever Ill love only you" establish the timeless nature of the relationship and the singer's determination to remain faithful. The chorus repeats the refrain "Just promise me darling your love in return / May this fire in my soul dear forever burn," underscoring the importance of reciprocity in the relationship.
The second verse reiterates the singer's commitment to her lover, stating that her heart is at their command and that her ultimate goal is to keep them happy. The repeated phrase "Keeping you is my goal" emphasizes the importance of the relationship to the singer and her willingness to do whatever it takes to maintain it. The final section of the song echoes the sentiments expressed earlier, with the singer pledging to love and cherish her partner for eternity.
In summary, "Story of My Love" is an ode to enduring love and devotion. The song affirms the importance of commitment and reciprocity in relationships and celebrates the transformative power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Forever my darling our love will be true
My love towards you will never cease and our love for each other will be everlasting
Always and forever Ill love only you
My heart will always be yours, and I will forever love you exclusively
Just promise me darling your love in return
Please assure me that you will love me back and give me the same level of affection
May this fire in my soul dear forever burn
Let this passion and love I have for you keep burning in me forever
My hearts at your command dear
Whatever you ask for, my heart is there to do your bidding
To keep love and to hold
To maintain and treasure the love we share
Making you happy is my desire dear
My utmost wish is to see you happy
Keeping you is my goal
My ultimate aspiration is to always have you by my side
Ill never part from you
I will never leave your side
Or your loving ways
Nor will I ever tire of the way you show and express your love
Ill forever love you
My love for you will never die
For the rest of my days
For as long as I live
Just promise me darling your love in return
Please assure me that you will love me back and give me the same level of affection
May this fire in my soul dear forever burn
Let this passion and love I have for you keep burning in me forever
My hearts at your command dear
Whatever you ask for, my heart is there to do your bidding
To keep love and to hold
To maintain and treasure the love we share
Making you happy is my desire dear
My utmost wish is to see you happy
Loving you is my goal
My ultimate objective in life is to love and cherish you
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Don Robey, Fats Washington
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@danielmkubacki
Good one!
@petergalloway7978
Many happy memories of when singers had to be able to sing Where were you in 62.
@henrysonnemann2597
In 1962 I was born.😂😂😂
@michaelwhittaker5432
Another fantastic song that those Northern Soul lot claim is their own never is never was