Ella Washington

Ella Washington (born October 25, 1943)[1] is an American former R&B and gospel singer, described as "an outstanding Southern soul vocalist"[2] and best known for her 1969 hit "He Called Me Baby". She later became a church pastor.

Ella Washington
Also known asElla Washington Cobbs
Born (1943-10-25) October 25, 1943
Miami, Florida, U.S.
GenresRhythm and blues, soul, gospel
Occupation(s)Vocalist
Years active1965–1972, occasionally later
LabelsOctavia, Sound Stage 7

Biography

Washington was born in Miami, Florida, and first recorded in 1965 for the local Octavia label.[3][4] Her single "The Grass Always Seems Greener" was leased to Atlantic Records for release, but did not achieve commercial success.[2][5]

In 1967, she began recording for the Sound Stage 7 label in Nashville, Tennessee. Several of her records were produced by radio disc jockey John Richbourg, and were recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.[3] Her third single for Sound Stage 7, "He Called Me Baby", was a reworking of a 1962 song by Harlan Howard (originally "She Called Me Baby"), which had previously been recorded by many country singers including Bobby Bare and Patsy Cline. Washington's version reached # 77 on the Billboard Hot 100, and # 38 on the Billboard R&B chart, but was her only hit record.[4] However, she released an LP, Ella Washington, in 1969, and a succession of singles on the Sound Stage 7 label through to 1972, including "Stop Giving Your Man Away" and "Trying To Make You Love Me".[5][6]

In 1973, she turned from secular to gospel music.[3] She sang "Amazing Grace" and "Because He Lives" at John Richbourg's funeral in 1986.[7] By 2009, as Ella Washington Cobbs, she was pastor at Theos Ministries church in Opa-locka, Miami-Dade County, Florida.[8]

The first compilation album of her recordings, Nobody But Me, was released by Charly Records in 1987.[9] A CD of her recordings for Sound Stage 7, He Called Me Baby, was issued on the Soulscape label in 2009.

References
  1. U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010
  2. "Ella Washington | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
  3. Biography from Encyclopedia of Popular Music Archived May 12, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 470.
  5. "Ella Washington". www.soulfulkindamusic.net. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
  6. "Ella Washington - Ella Washington". Discogs. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
  7. McNeil, W. K. (2005). Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music. Psychology Press. ISBN 9780415941792.
  8. "FindArticles.com | CBSi". findarticles.com. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
  9. "Ella Washington - Nobody But Me". Discogs. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
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