Mable John (1930-922) was was a blues vocalist and the first woman to be signed by Barry Gordy's Motown's Tamala label. Among the groups that sang backup for Mable John were Martha & the Vandellas and The Supremes. She was also a member of the Raelettes, the vocal quartette backing Ray Charles. (1968-1978, 1998). Around 1973, she crossed over from blues and R&B to gospel music. She earned her Doctor of Divinity degree in 1993. In 1994 she received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. Many feel Mabel's career was unjustly overshadowed by her younger brother Little Willie John [see below], who began his career several years before Mabel.
"To Love What I Want, and Want Whit I Love"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa4hrS3DIfg
"Able Mabel"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15BTw0vez9M
"That Woman Will Give It a Try"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0ERvwOjosM
"Stay Out of the Kitchen"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34iGu6Fzzjo&list=PL79xK-VVZpskLfJ25hd1xz07-deVG-R-k
"Actions Speak Louder Than Words"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C0W32CjwCU
"Sorry About That"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R85C-kBu52E
"I'm a Big Girl Now"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgydTrjcH-Y
"It's Catching"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ituk6vElbwQ
"Looking for a Man"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF1oFdKbhJY
"Left Over Love"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7As2LYAct8k
"Bad Water"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QSX5pXktXk
Little Willie John (1937-1968), Mabel's brother, had a chart-topping career in the 1950s and early 60s. Success, however, did not keep him from a troubled life. He was an alcoholic with a short temper, and had been arrested for narcotics, swinding, and grand larceny. In 1965 he was convicted of manslaughter for a stabbing. He appealed the conviction and was released on probation while the case was reconsidered. During that time, he recorded what he hoped was his comeback album; the appeal was denied and the album would not be released until 2008. He died in Washington Stete Penitentiary on May 26, 1968. Many have questioned the cause of his death but the stated cause on the death certificate was heart attack. Little Willie John was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2014 (as a singer) and 2016 (as a songwriter), into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2016, and into the /blues Hall of Fame in 2022.
Here's a few of his hits:
"All Around the World"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9czwNhFudvE
"Need Your Love So Bad"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFo7Z2fKTVk
"Fever"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szz27BuDgeU
"Talk to Me, Talk to Me"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO0dyBC9Yrw
"Sleep"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7ai9W4KUbs
"Leave My Kitten Alone"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iE_4Mt0QyU
"Let Them Talk"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB_gmpowpuw
"A Cottage for Sale"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC4R36yxJRc
Two great talents, one sadly wasted...
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