Denise LaSalle (84) – Reigning Queen of the Blues – was born on July 16, 1934 near Sidon (The Island), Mississippi and raised in Belzoni. The youngest of eight children, she was actually born Ora D. (or Ora Dee) Allen. Her family was a family of share croppers, and she sang in church choirs before moving to Chicago to live with her oldest brother in early 1947, where she sat in with R&B musicians and blues cats, wrote songs, influenced by country music as well as the blues, before winning a recording contract with Chess Records in 1967. Her first single, “A Love Reputation” was a modest regional hit.She established an independent production company, Crajon, with her then husband Bill Jones. Her song “Trapped By A Thing Called Love” (1971) was released on Detroit-based Westbound Records and reached #1 on the national R&B chart and #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
She then wrote successful follow-ups, “Now Run And Tell That” and “Man Sized Job” which made #3 and #4 in the R&B Top Ten and also charted in the Hot 100.Her early hits were recorded at the Hi recording studios in Memphis, operated by Willie Mitchell, using the cream of southern session players. She continued to have hits on Westbound and then on ABC Records through the mid-1970s, including “Love Me Right” (#10 R&B, #80 pop) She continued to produce and perform live. Her co-penned song, “Married, But Not to Each Other” (#16 R&B) was included in the 1979 The Best of Barbara Mandrell, compilation album. In 1976, she moved to Jackson, Tennessee and signed a contract with ABC Records. On ABC she had another hit, “Love Me Right”. ABC was taken over by MCA, and LaSalle made three albums for MCA. Her 1979 album include “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” and she released “I’m So Hot” album in 1980. Rapper husband Super Wolf recorded rap song “Super Wolf Can Do It” also. She continued to perform live and to produce.
In the early 1980s, she signed as a singer and songwriter with Malaco Records, for whom she released a string of critically acclaimed albums over more than 20 years, starting with Lady in the Street (1983) and Right Place, Right Time (1984). Both albums became successful among soul blues, R&B and soul fans and on urban radio stations. In 1985, she enjoyed her only recognition in the UK Singles Chart, when her cover version of Rockin’ Sidney’s “My Toot Toot” reached #6.
LaSalle appeared at the 1984 and 1993 versions of the Long Beach Blues Festival, and also in 1993, she performed at the San Francisco Blues Festival. Her album Smokin’ In Bed (1997) sold well. After more than a decade away, when she recorded three albums with small Memphis-based soul-blues label, Ecko, she returned to Malaco for her 2010 outing called “24 Hour Woman”. She continues to work as a live performer, particularly at festivals, and more recently has branched out into the gospel genre. In 2011, she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
In 2013 and 2014, LaSalle was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the ‘Soul Blues Female Artist’ category. On June 6, 2015, LaSalle was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame.
A blues and R&B/soul singer, songwriter, and record producer, she had been recognized as the “Queen of the Blues” since the death of Koko Taylor in 2009.
LaSalle lived with her husband, James E. Wolfe, (Super Wolfe) in Jackson, Tennessee, where she opened a restaurant called Blues Legend Café. The restaurant was located at 436 E. Main Street, but has since closed.
After suffering from heart problems, and complications from a fall resulting in her right leg being amputated, LaSalle died on January 8, 2018, at the age of 83.
With a discography of 35 plus albums and 50 plus singles between 1967 and 2010, Denise LaSalle left a big imprint on roots music.
