Meditation Singers Lord I Want You To Help Me

Meditation Singers Oh! Lord Have Mercy

Laura's Shows Circa 1970

I have recently exchanged a few mails with Detroit soul expert Graham Finch about the blog. He has now kindly sent me 2 adverts featuring Laura appearing in Detroit clubs circa 1970.

The first advert is for the Hi Chaparral where she appeared with Emanuel Lasky and the second is for a 4 night spot at Mr Kelly's with her Revue.

Sisters Of Soul

St Louis Blues Heritage Festival 1997 Programme

Laura rarely sung between the 90s and 2004. One of the reasons was that after her reccovery from cancer, she made a promise to God to help him.

One of the few occasions she performed in the 90's was at the 1997 St Louis Blues Heritage Festival when the promoter, who was a fan of her music, asked her to sing; “ I sang a Donny McClurkin song and I took my son Karlton and he played drums for me.” She appeared with Bettye Lavette, Sugar Pie DeSanto & Mable John as the “Sisters Of Soul.”

All Power

Laura singing in Japan in 1980's

In 1983, she cut a second gospel album “All Power”; “This is my favourite album produced by Al Hobbs – he is the President of The Gospel Singers Announcers Guild –and a radio announcer in Indianapolis.” She had met him at James Cleveland’s Gospel Singers Workshop Convention; “I went there and stayed in his home and we got all the songs together and we recorded them. I went back and forth – what is popular on the album is “God Bless America” – I had a lot of airplay with that one. I enjoyed doing that album and Al Hobbs was a very nice man.”

One of the highlights of "All Power" is the Rance Allen song “How I Love You”; “I went down to Toledo to his home and he wrote this song for me because he always loved my sound and he respected my group The Meditation Singers. He said that he wanted to write something for me. I’d love to sing that song if I came over to Europe.”

She did go on a tour of Japan in 1984 singing gospel organised by Universal Attractions. She played Osaka and Tokyo as well as 2 nights in a club.

New Destiny

Bishop Thomas Wesley Weeks Senior

Laura didn't get completely well until around 1990 when the doctors gave her the all clear from cancer.

Her belief helped to restore her and she recovered and renewed her energy.

She fulfilled her promise to God that she made when she was ill and devoted her energies to him; “I became a minister and travelled with the Bishop Thomas Wesley Weeks Senior out of Wilmington, Delaware.”

She met Bishop Weeks Senior him at an annual convention called "Praise Power" in 1997; “I went to Africa with his New Destiny Great Faith Church to do missionary work.”

"People Get Ready" & Jesus Is The Light Of My Life

Laura in early 80's

In 1981, Al Green asked her to record “People Get Ready” for his “Higher Plane” album, “I went back to do this because he wanted us to do something together. It was just before I had my operation.”

In 1983, after her operation she went back to Memphis and recorded a whole album “Jesus Is The Light Of My Life”; “I went back to gospel music after I first got sick. Al Green said that he would like to record me and I co- wrote some of the stuff with Al. We worked together well in the studio. I only stayed about a week and he got the musicians together and I knew the songs because they were in the gospel – years and years back. I got paid up front by the record company and only got half publishing on one song. The album didn’t do a lot though “God Will Take Care Of You” got a lot of plays.”

Life Threatening Illness

Laura in late 70's

Laura became very ill in the late 70's; “I got sick in 1979, the doctor said that I needed an operation and I said, “I didn’t have time for an operation! I got to make this money!”

All during the 80’s she had cancer and had treatment including radiotherapy to fight the illness, which left her very weak. At the end of the 80’s when she was still in danger of dying she made a promise; “I promise God that if you heal me from this cancer I will sing your songs and I’ll sing what you want me to sing and do what you want me to do and go where you want me to go. But I am making a deal with you God and he said deal. So he healed me and that’s when I started to do missionary work and praying for other people who had cancer and he put healing in my hands. I didn’t sing during that time – I took a sabbatical because I had made a promise to God.”

Don Davis & Fantasy

Laura and Don Davis had known each other since before the Golden World sessions; “I was very young when we first met him – I think at Phelp’s Lounge. There was a guy called Brian Spears who worked for Don Davis at Groovesville and he put me in touch with Don.”

The Fantasy 45 was a change of direction for Laura; “I was just trying to go with the times”. They were doing disco so I did disco and actually sang “Sat-Is-Fac-Tion” live in some disco in New York.” It was a one off deal because Laura unfortunately became ill shortly after recording the 45.

Greg Perry & Ariola

Laura left Invictus in 1975 and a year later hooked up with Greg Perry; “We were at Hot Wax together and were friends. He called me and said that he had written a tune for me and I flew out to California because we could get a deal with Ariola. We waited outside the President of Ariola’s office. They were playing “Love’s Got Me Tired” – as I went to walk out of the door, “He said, “Don’t let that lady go – I want that record” and he signed us up and I’ll never forget that!”

She recorded several tracks with Greg at Ike and Tina Turner’s studio. Greg and Ike Turner put the musicians together. The only tracks released were “Love’s Barking Up The Wrong Tree” and “Love’s Got Me Tired”.

"Was I Used?"

Two shots of Laura performing in an unidentified Detroit night club in mid 70's

Laura feels that she never got the credit she deserved for involvement in music; “I was used definitely used in a mighty, mighty way. Men don’t think that a good-looking women have brains and that was one advantage I had I was very smart and talented. As woman I was really feisty and they found out that I was no fool after a while but after I allowed them to take stuff from me!! I thought I was doing a good thing by helping do a few lines from a song or come with the melody. I thought that showed that I was smart. I was supposed to get credit for it and wasn’t until down the line someone said that they got a royalty cheque for writing or producing and I used to say why didn’t I get one and they use to say that I needed to sign up – they educated me later after the fact!!”

I Can't Make It Alone & End Of Hot Wax

Laura on the back cover of her album "I Can't Make It Alone"

After the 2nd album there was a gap between albums; “They did the “Best of Laura Lee” in 1973 before recording “ I Can’t Make It Alone” which was a mixture of new and old plus backing tracks from other Invictus projects.” It was a desperate attempt by HDH to help keep the company afloat after they had shut down the Hot Wax label; “Ed Holland came to my home and he asked me to save his company because my contract was up and he asked me to stay with them. That’s when I went back for the “I Can’t Make It Alone” album.”

It was also ironic that she worked with the Holland Brothers especially after Eddie had not been sure what to with her. She did clarify the album credits;” I did not work with Eddie. Brian would come some time but they would send other people.”

Laura liked the songs Brian Holland wrote for her; “A lot of the writers had left them and they wanted to do something on me by themselves. I was trying to tell them I could sing ballads and all the other stuff – so they allowed it and they came up with some things.” She loved Brian’s song “Don’t Leave Me Starving For Your Love” and they used same backing track as his own release of the song. She also liked “We’ve Come To Far To Walk Away”. She was again able to use the Meditation Singers on backing vocals.

The album did not sell and Laura said; I don’t think they had the money to promote it because I think it is a great album – a sleeper.”

Two Sides Of Laura Lee

Laura and Al Green together in early 70's

Laura was straight back in the studio with the success of the “Women’s Love Rights” album; “ I went back in right away to do the “Two Sides Of Laura Lee”. They wanted me to do something else before I cooled off. They had to hurry up and do another one. I knew of the other people like Paul Riser and Tony Camillo but I wasn’t friendly with them. They had some tracks already in the can and they added to them and wrote some lyrics for me.”

The concept of the album was her own to highlight the 2 sides of her singing style; “I came up with the idea of the 2 sides of Laura Lee. I can sing Chitlin or I can sing ballads – that’s what I meant when I said that there are 2 sides of Laura Lee. I can sing it all.”

She freely admits that she sang songs about her relationship with Al Green on this album; “At Last” – I was singing about Mr Green I guess and “Every Little Bit Hurts – I was singing about him again!! I love singing that one and I was aware of the other versions, “Guess Who”– I always loved the song it was Nancy Wilson’s song – I put my little bit to that. “Crumbs Off The Table” – the Honeycones had recorded it and I just redid that one.”

The song she liked best was “If You Can Beat Me Rocking”; “I used to sing that live and the audience used to love that song – I would stop in it and I would talk about – I was crazy and I would say to the girls how tough I was with a man – I would tell them what they would need to do to keep their man and I would go on to say – here’s how bad I am if you are badder than I am then get up because I am the baddest thing out here. All the guys would bring their girls to the club – the pimps would bring their girls to the club or the concerts and they would sit them down because they would want me to clown on stage and say how they want o be treated and all. They loved that song because I had such a personal relationship with my audience.”

One her most popular songs in the UK is "Rip Off"; “Yeah!!! I love it – ironically the very night I went into the studio to record that song someone went and broke into my home!! They took all of my furs and all of my diamonds and it happened on 2 occasions – I declared that the song was bad luck to me but I love singing it to people – they love it.”

"Rip Off" sounds so heartfelt as she reeks her revenge in the middle of the song;“I really mean it in the middle – you know what I did – I take myself into mood and I would actually visualise me doing this and that how I came up with lots of different moods and sounds and then I would go in and record it – it sounds like it just happened – I didn’t quite take all the stuff I said on the record but I have done that to a guy!”

One of best tracks on the album is “You’ve Got To Save Me” where you can clearly hear the Meditation Singers on background vocals.

Detroit 9000

Laura in LA in early 70's

The famous photo of Laura from the early 70's was taken in LA; “It was taken on the campus of UCLA while I was in LA to do a screen test." The film was never made; “I didn’t like the part because they wanted me to play the part of a prostitute. I gave it back to them and said “I am not a good prostitute” It was insulting to me – I don’t know how to play a prostitute! They didn’t come up with any other offers then and I was so busy with my singing and I wasn’t going to stop and do that dumb stuff.”

She did eventually make a movie in 1972 called “Detroit 9000” She is in the opening of the film and can be heard and seen singing. She said it “ Went to the top 5 and I sung 2 songs which were HDH productions but were never released on record. The Meditation Singers did the movie with me they were singing background. They paid me out right for that and I was a skinny beanpole with a lot of hair!!! I let them rent my car – the Rolls Royce to use in the film – it was white then. I played 2 parts and I was in a long mink coat and a turban and I made them pay me twice!!”

At the height of her success with Hot Wax, the City of Detroit proud of her as a representative of the city, designated July 20th 1974 as “Laura Lee Day” and 36,000 people turned out to a festival on the riverfront to celebrate the day.

"Women's Love Rights"

Classic shot of Laura taken for the front cover of the "Women's Love Rights" album

The song "Women's Love Rights" had such a big impact on her career; “I thought it was a hit song because at that time women were so pent up and afraid to do this and do that with their man. When he came up with those lyrics it was like that liberated them – that song liberated women – l had letters and phone calls and women in person used to say to me that I had really opened their eyes because the men had them so scared and pent up. It was the man dominating the woman all the time. I believed what I sung but it wasn’t based on my own personal circumstances but I could relate to it.”

The song was a million seller. “I was very busy besides concerts I did interviews, women’s parties, Macy’s in New York and all kinds of promotion things. They tried to get me into a “Women’s Lib” thing and I refused to got there and I didn’t want to get labelled as a lesbian I made it very clear that I was not advocating “Women’s Lib” but I am advocating women’s love – right away they took me off that – Jane Fonda wanted me to go and travel with her and start a women’s liberation thing. They were pushing me in that direction and I stopped it dead in its tracks.”

One memorable moment on the "Women's Love Rights" album is the monologue to “Since I Fell For You”; “I was involved Al Green at that time. I don’t really know why I did “Since I Fell For You” – it was from the heart definitely. I got up and sat in my dining room and wrote it down. I was there by myself – I used to love getting up in the middle of the night and writing. They suggested I wrote a monologue and that’s what I wrote. I used to be good for writing I didn’t have sense enough to get credit for it and used to give it away.” The song became an anthem for her; “I couldn’t leave the stage without singing it.”

She became more popular,” This is when I started to play the big concerts – the Apollo, the Howard. I came out of the chitlin circuit but when I was not busy I would always go back – that’s where I could always make some money. I did lots of TV – different shows – talk shows – I would fly to California just to do a show – they were quite disappointed that they wanted to place me in a “Women’s Lib” thing like I was a men basher and I love men too much to bash them!!!!” She burst out laughing after that last statement.

She continued to perform on a big stage while at Hot Wax; “Otis Smith was in charge of promotion and he was responsible for getting me into all the big things. I very seldom saw him but he did come to the big things such as the Troubadour in LA or he flew in one time when the Al Green and Laura Lee show was held over at he Apollo.”

Hot Wax

Laura in early 70's

Laura had remained friendly with Brian Holland after he had left Motown and set up Hot Wax/Invictus with Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier; “He came to my dressing room at the Phelp’s Lounge and he said, “Laura we are about to open up a new label. I would like for you to be on it” and it went from there. He was one of my admirers and we never hung out together or run together – he just admired my sound.”

It was 1970 and they gave her a contract, “It tied me up to label – 3 or 4% - it didn’t stipulate how many 45’s and albums – I was just glad to get back in the studios – I was honoured that HDH wanted to sign me – they were a big noise still in Detroit.”

However, she felt that Eddie Holland wasn’t sure how to record her; “ I saw Eddie and he didn’t know what to do with me because of my sound therefore they started picking the other producers to do something – Ron Dunbar and William Weatherspoon and Angelo Bond.” Brian Holland said that he knew what to do and where to place her; “Everyone was anxious to find a sound which was best for me.”

Laura said; “They would always let me hear the music before I would record it and I did have an option to choose and when they wrote “Women’s Love Rights” I knew straight away that it was going to be a hit record. I would always tell them what was going to hit and the same thing about “Rip Off”.” Though she did say she didn’t like everything she recorded at Hot Wax– She didn’t like all the material she was given at Hot Wax eg “Love and Liberty” and “Wedlock Is A Padlock” and called them “the junk songs”.

Her sessions were broken up; “I went into the studio when I felt like it. They would cut the tracks and they would ask me when I would like to come in. I used to get hoarse a lot because I had a sinus problem at one time.” She completed the first album “Women’s Love Rights” in about 6 weeks at the HDH Studios on Grand River Street, “ William and Angelo would sit me down and go through the song with me but they would also give me a cassette to listen to as well – to live with it for a while so that I could get the best out of it. I enjoyed singing over backing tracks better because if I said or sang some lines incorrectly then I could always stop it. “

Laura talked about her relationship with William Weatherspoon and Angelo Bond; “William was a little hard on me. He wanted me to say something his way and we argued a lot because I wanted to do the thing my way. Sometimes I sat down on him and left the studio. “I can’ t beat you why don’t you record it” – we fell out many nights. He would say, “Laura that’s not the way I want you to do it – and I would say, “You gave me the song – I want to make it mine and this is the way I’m gonna sing it.” We loved each other and we always had fun but I never had problems with Angelo! Laura and William are friends until this day.

She went on, “Angelo Bond was happy go lucky and was the sweetest little guy – he could come up with some lyrics. We never had one disagreement – he wrote most of the lyrics because he wrote better lyrics than William Weatherspoon but they co-wrote the songs.”

Her relationships at Hot Wax were strictly business; “I never hung out with anyone from Invictus/Hot Wax. I never worked with any of the artists – either tours or background singing. There was a booking agency within the company run by Betty Slater. She would book them in different places and I was with Universal Attractions in New York.”

Chitlin' Circuit

At this stage of her career, she was making good money playing the Chitlin’ Circuit in the South; “I stayed very busy down in Georgia and Carolina and places like that practically every weekend. She was booked through Universal Attractions; “I had a Cadillac and a chauffer to drive and sometimes I’d fly. I made good consistent money.”

Laura would include her Chess material in her shows; "I always did these clubs by myself. I was singing “Uptight Good Man” and “Dirty Man” because they were very popular and there was a demand for me because of the success of those records.” She told me that she would get $1,500 a night for 2 or 3 sets about 30 minutes. She used house bands but Leonard Caston who had played on her Chicago Chess sessions played bass for her and acted as her musical director. He stayed with her for a couple of years.

Cotillion 45's

Laura thought that Jerry Wexler was responsible for signing her to Cotillion once he knew her contract was up at Chess. Wexler had just opened his Criteria Studios in Miami in 1970 when she signed; “Dave Crawford wanted to do something on me and they allowed him to do it because he liked my sound – he shopped a deal with Cotillion.”

She went down for a week and just did that one session and recorded 4 tracks “Separation Line”, “But You Know I Love You”, “Together” and “What A Man”. Laura only had a vague recollection of Dave Crawford; “I can’t even visualise his face – it was Jerry Wexler who put us together. I did meet Jerry Wexler and it was him who told Dave Crawford to record me but he was struck on Aretha and he didn’t want to hear anybody else but her. Both sides were poor sellers, which Laura put down to little promotion.

Fame Studios

Laura at Fame Studios in April 2003

The Fame sound made such a difference to the “Dirty Man” sessions; “The kids in Chicago – they were not as warm and soulful. They had pre- eminence and they walked around and their suits and ties – they just didn’t have it!!! They were too successful and all of them after I had a hit would run to me with a song on a newspaper and say record this and I say what happened before? Hey! You didn’t have that respect for me before!!”

Laura spent a total of 2 weeks in Muscle Shoals; “I went down with a female companion called Carol because I didn’t want to go alone and stayed in a hotel. I leave there at 9.00am in the morning and would return there sometimes at 2 or 3 in the morning – we could always send out for food.”

Though she had experienced racial prejudice while travelling with the Meditation Singers in the South – she didn’t experience any problems on her visit to Muscle Shoals.” I was conscious of the racism in Detroit but I never let it bother me I love all people and I never felt that I was different because I was black. My grandmother in my biological family was a white lady and so I never felt anything about colour or creed or anything. I never let that affect me.”

Laura was warmly welcomed at Muscle Shoals; “I was very comfortable and they were very, very warm. Rick was very fond of me and he’d come up to me and he’d say “If you want to do that then let’s try that” – “I Need To Belong”– I was crazy about Jerry Butler I just loved his sound and wanted to do it. I choose the songs – Rick let me do what I wanted to do – “That’s How It Is” recorded by Otis Clay. I did one or 2 takes on most of the songs because I never had to go over and over songs. I can hear a song once or twice – let her hear it twice and she’s got it. We would rehearse it briefly first then Rick would say, “Turn the tape on and let her go.”

Rick Hall was able to get the right sound on “Dirty Man” after the Chicago musicians had failed; “Rick took those guys - Roger Hawkins and them they got that sound – they captured that sound. It was called “Dirty Old Man” and Rick cut that out – it was so effective to me – much more effective as “Dirty Man”. After that “Dirty Man” everyone wanted to send their artists. I sold 500,000 records with “Dirty Man”.

She did meet Eddie Hinton who wrote “Sure As Sin” and “It’s All Wrong” with Marlin Greene; “He had brought in the songs for Rick and Rick said this was the kind of stuff for me and I had no problem. Everybody was hustling to get an artist to sing their songs and they hung around the studio.”

I went back to the Fame Studios in April of 2003 with Laura and she stood at the same microphone where she recorded her classic songs. Later she told me; “I stood at the microphone that we saw and with the band around me – it was a remarkable experience for me to return to the studio.”

She stayed with Chess for over 2 years but things just seemed to run out for her when Leonard Chess died in 1969, “I didn’t re-sign and Chess was on the downside and Leonard had died and Chess was going down hill.” Though she did leave a legacy of work, which is amongst the classic Southern recordings of the 60’s and was a forerunner for later soul singers such as Millie Jackson and Candi Staton.

Chicago Sessions

Chess Studios 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago as they are today

Laura didn't really hit off at Chess when she first went to Chicago; “Well they had Leonard Caston and Billy Davis and Cash McCall and Gene Barge and they told them “Hey! We are fixing to record her and we want you guys to come up with a song”. They also had Bobby Miller. I used to sit down and I used to tell him what a dirty man that I was dating and he said got the right song – the dirty man was Mr Phelps – so Bobby came up with this song and we laughed about it. Bobby was a real gentleman and you wouldn’t think he would write anything like that – we kicked it around and we went in to the studios there and tried to capture it but they couldn’t get the sound that they wanted – I think it was Billy Davis who suggested sending me down to Muscle Shoals.”

She only did one session in Chicago recording “As Long As I Got You” which she penned with Gene Barge, “But You Know I Love You”, “Meet Love Halfway”, Mama’s Got A Good Thing”, “Love More Than Pride” and “ Stop Giving Your Man Away” which she wrote with James Cleveland and another Cleveland original “It’s Mighty Hard” and the infamous cuts of “Dirty Old Man”. Though “Dirty Man” was a great song the Chicago musicians just couldn’t get the right the feel to the track, which satisfied everyone.

She spent about a week in Chicago trying to get the right sound; "I would record a few hours each day and I used to like to record at night. I sing better at night – I would always do it in segments – go tonight and do some and go back tomorrow and do some. They skipped me right off to Muscle Shoals – I don’t remember going back to Chicago after that.”

This failure prompted a trip to the Rick Hall Fame Studios which had been a winner for Atlantic and which the Chess Brothers wanted to cash in on.

Chess Contract

Phil Chess co-owner of Chess Records Late 60's


Edward Phelps was an ambitious man and wanted to get Laura national recognition. Edward Phelps knew Billy Davis at Chess; “We got in the car and drove over to Chicago and we met with Billy Davis and Billy said we will sign her because he had already previously heard me anyway at the Phelps club. Billy Davis took me into the room and he got me to sing something. He had Phil and Leonard Chess to hear that and then after that it was on. They said we want her. I met Leonard and thought I was just the sweetest person. I got on really well with Leonard I had a lot of respect for him but Phil and I always argued all the time!”

They sent the contract back to her in Detroit; “1 and half cents was exactly I was to make on every record and each year it would escalate but we never got any higher than 3 cents!” Laura said; “I thought it was a great opportunity and Mr Phelps also felt it was as well. He explained to me “You don’t make money off royalties anyway – you make money off performances” But believe this or not Chess records are the only royalty cheques that I have ever gotten – never got one from Hot Wax – I got a cheque back in those days from Leonard Chess for “Dirty Man” for $1700 – it sold a lot of records but never got an money from these other guys.”

The House On Oakman Boulevard Detroit

Houses on the historic Oakman Boulevard, Detroit

Laura had many exciting times at her adoptive parent’s house; “Our home was not far from Golden World Studios – 5 minutes away – we lived in an exclusive part of Detroit called Oakman Boulevard – we had a big beautiful home.”

Many soul singers dropped by the house on Oakman Boulevard; “The Dramatics used to come over and hang out and Sweet James Epps and Edwin Starr – he had a crush on me and he used to send me flowers and he thought he was in love with me. Andre Williams – and with him living with us for a time and other singers and writers used to come. My mum could cook really good and she would put on some kind of pot and fry some chicken and make spaghetti but they loved her sweets because she was a great baker.”

“Andre used to have a tape player on reel to reel and we would listen to different tapes – Greg Perry, Jeff Perry, - The Ridgeway Sisters – Greg would turn up with a tape and say, “You’ve Got To Hear This! I’ll be honest with you when all the kids where over listening to music and going crazy I was upstairs in my room – trying to write a little song – I didn’t hang out – some of them liked to drink and smoke and I didn’t do any of that – I wouldn’t hang but my mum could. She’d hang out with them all day!

Laura Talks About Motown In 60's

Looking through the window of Hitsville, the home of Motown Records in the 60's

Laura never got the chance to record at Motown; “I didn’t know any of the Motown crowd – they had a pre-eminent spirit. They thought they were better than the rest of us guys. You know the Golden World Studios gave Motown a run for their money.”

She knew Brian Holland; “He thought the world of me – Brian never came over to the house but a couple of times – he was a shy guy – that’s how I probably ended up with HDH. He tried to get me a contract with Motown before Chess but they didn’t like my style of singing.”

Once she went over to Hitsville; “I went over to see Berry Gordy and Mickey Stevenson – he didn’t like my style and that kinda hurt my little feelings. I sung some song – I can’t remember what I sang but it was too soulful for them – they liked the bubblegum type of sound and I had a heavy soul sound that was not they were looking for. I had picked the song. I sang in a very small room with Mickey Stevenson and this other guy with “big fat hair” and Berry told them to listen to me. After that they didn’t like it and that was the end of that. I sang with one little piano. – they said that they would get back with me!”

However, Brian Holland did like her singing; “Brian didn’t carry any weight to get me a contract but he always believed in me and loved my sound – but it was difficult for some people to categorise me or where to stick me in and they played with a lot of different things.”

Backing Edwin Starr At Golden World

Early publicity shot of Edwin Starr

Laura did a lot of background singing to keep the money coming in, “ I sung a lot of background – I did Edwin Starr – that’s where I would make the extra money in getting the girls together and I was good at putting the harmonies together. They knew the Meditation Singers where good for that and they loved our sound because we sung in the night clubs around town and they would just ask me and I would say OK”

"Mustang Sally"

During 1965 and 1966, she did a lot of session work in Detroit as a backing singer with the Meditations; “My group sung the background on Mustang Sally” and she sings “Ride Sally Ride” – that’s me singing the background. She also remembered using Verlaine Rogers, Donna Hammond, Barbara Hyder and he adoptive mother on the 45.

Hanging Out At The Golden World Studios

Laura enjoyed working at the Golden World Studios; “It was the kinda studio where all the singers used to hang out – Edwin Starr, The Dramatics – and if they knew I was recording they would come to the studio to watch me record and I used to help Edwin Starr with his timings. All the artists would drop by to see what was happening to chat, eat something and generally support the artist that was recording.”

The deal with Ed Wingate was a one off deal, “Edward Phelps was taking care of the business for me and he was a heck of a businessman. I got paid well for the record. Wingate would always give us money upfront and he was kinda like a “poppa” to us – whatever you need – if you were doing bad – if you went to him he would help. I never got royalties.”

She did do local promotion for the record, “I sung it live at Phelp’s – it’s the only place I remember singing that song. The reason I did that was because one night Ed Wingate and his girlfriend where at the Lounge and I went on and performed that song.”

"To Win Your Heart"

Laura's performances athe Phelp's Lounge got her first secular recording break; “Opening the shows got me a lot of exposure. They would write about my performance in the black papers here in Detroit” One night Ed Wingate who owned Golden World Records came to the club with one of his staff Joanne Bratton and caught Laura’s show. At this time Ed Wingate was the only serious rival in Detroit for Motown Records. It is possible that Edward Phelps who had taken over Laura’s business interests invited him there. She remembers that Wingate told Phelps “You’ve got to give me this girl and record her”.

Within a couple of weeks within signing her she was in the studio recording “To Win Your Heart” which was part written by Joanne Bratton; “ I rehearsed with a cassette – they gave me the song and I took it back home and learnt it and went into the studio and just did it. It was recorded at Ed Wingate’s Studio. I did not like that song for me. I recorded it but I did not enjoy it. It was my first thing and I was anxious to get out there and I was not at liberty to choose my own material. I was afraid to say anything because I was new and didn’t want to mess up.”

She recorded 4 songs but she couldn’t remember the other 2 tracks and recorded them live in the studio; “At Golden World there was an orchestra I call it – a lot of guys and did it there right there and there was a whole bunch of us doing it in the studio. Edwin Starr, Meditation Singers and some other girls who were doing background.”

Ed Wingate is accredited with producing the 45 but Laura recalls differently; "He didn’t know anything about producing – he had the money honey!! I actually did 2 takes and they enjoyed recording me. I would always rehearse and do it well. Andre Williams was there too.”

Andre Williams wrote the B-side “So Will I” and produced the song as well, according to Laura, being the co-producer of “To Win Your Heart”; “He was like my little brother – he stayed at our house all the time – my mother loved him. He was always coming up with something and trying to write and do his little thing. He was there because I was recording.” She also remembered that, “Al Kent had something to do with it.”

Though Laura didn’t personally like “To Win Your Heart” she understood its appeal; “I think what you like is the backing track – the music and the instruments are just wonderful but it doesn’t quite show the best of Laura – she then sang to me “The more I dream of you” in a very deep voice – she screams I hate that!!! And bursts out laughing, “Why did they take that melody down like that – but the rest of the lyrics are really good. But the melody right there takes so much away from the song but AMEN!”

Laura Singing At Phelps Lounge

Laura started off doing 30-minute sets at this stage using the house band and opening for whoever was headlining at the club; “At that time, I was just based at that one club. Every top act that came into the club I would open for that act – Little Willie John, Jerry Butler, Little Milton, Big Maybelle, Bettye Lavette, Mable John and many others”

Laura was an immediate success; “I was good at putting songs together and would build and build them and come out with the bomb at the end.” This was a technique she had learnt in gospel music. She would sing the popular songs of the day and make them her own, I sang “I Need To Belong To Someone”, things that were current on the radio and I would take them and make them mine. I used take a lot of Gladys Knight stuff and make it mine and it was totally different.” She did requests; “People would love me and comeback the next night and they would request a certain song – “That’s How Strong My Love Is”.

Laura Out On Her Own

Early publicity shot of Laura after she went solo

When Laura made the break from her adopted family she found it tough; “I had left and gotten my own apartment by the time I was singing secular music. I did not raise my kids. It was circumstances because I was travelling. I took care of them financially and they had everything they wanted. My mum thought it best not to drag them round with me”

Ernestine Rundless wasn't too happy with Laura breaking free of her adoptive family; “My mum wanted me to be so under her that she wouldn’t let me breathe. I wanted to be my own lady so I got kinda of weary of being dominated. I wanted to got out on my own and be my own person and find out who I was and not someone my mum wanted me to be. I always found a way to look after myself.”

Meditation Singers At Phelps Lounge

By 1965, Verlaine Rogers from Cinncinati and Donna Hammond, a minister’s daughter from Michigan, had come into the group.

The Meditation Singers had taken their brand of gospel into the nightclubs and it was a successful formula. The Meditation Singers had got a one-week contract at one of Detroit’s top clubs in the 60’s at Phelp’s Lounge at 9006 Oakland.

Laura noticed that each night Edward Phelps who owned the club would stand at the bar watching and listening. What she didn’t know but was soon to find out was that he had bigger plans for her in the secular music business. “One night he came up to me and said “I wanna talk to you sweetheart” she laughs as she puts on this tough guy voice, “ OK you don’t need to be singing with them. You don’t need them – you need to go out on your own and you could be a big star”. I said “Oh no my mother wouldn’t ever let me”. I was still always respecting my mum.”

However, Laura and her mother fell out because she felt her mother was trying to control her life, “My mum made me mad one time so I said, “I quit the group and she was devastated.”

"Baby Madonna"

Chicago Institute Of Art Circa 1940's

Laura didn't want to be a singer when she left school; “What I really wanted to do when I left school was to have my own dress shop where I could dress people properly!! I have always been fashion conscious and I love clothes and I had the knack for putting them together. I also wanted to be an interior decorator more than a singer.”

She also briefly became a model before her father put a stop to her career, “I had a beautiful figure and I won a lot of beauty contests when I was growing up. In he churches they had beauty contests and around the city. I would always win and I don’t know whether it was because of my dad and who he was!

When she was 17, she modelled for the Pepsi Cola Company. Carmen Murphy of HOB set up the contract. She also posed for a painter called Gus Niles at the Chicago Art Institute and he painted a picture of her called “Baby Madonna”, “I thought I was on my way but the singing interrupted all that and my Dad made me come right on back home.”

All through her career, he sense of fashion remained whether it was the gowns on the album covers or features on magazines such as “Black Stars” or being voted Best Dressed Woman by Detroit News in the 80’s – the first black woman to be so honoured.

All this seems so ironic for someone who felt she was not good looking when she was young but who has never ceased to attract people with her looks, which make her one of the most distinctive black soul singers.

During this time, she became a young mother, “I got pregnant by a guy I was crazy about and we were supposed to get married but he left me and he never came back!!!” Her first child was Dale and she had another son called Karlton to another father. She did marry when she was young but her marriage didn’t last.

Laura never wanted to be a star singer;“I never did see myself as a star because I just loved singing in the background and never thought or dreamt that I would be a star or out front. I was the little business person working at the back.” But this was all about to change when the Meditation Singers got a gig at the Phelp’s Lounge in Detroit.

Meditation Singers: Checker Recordings

Meditation Singers Circa 1980

Over the course of the 1960s, the Meditations appeared on a series of labels including a 45 for SAR 143 “There Must Be Rest”, 3 albums for Checker, “Don’t You Want To Go” Checker 10019, the title track has been used in the recent Jim Carey movie “Bruce Almighty” trailer; “I Feel It” Checker 10029, “Bad Apple” Checker 10044 and another for Jubilee “Amen” Jubilee 6009 where she wrote one of the songs “Hard To Get Along” and 2 for Jewel including “A Change Is Gonna Come” Jewel 0048. Laura said that she sang on all of them even including the Checker ones while she was signed to Chess doing secular recordings.

House of Beauty

After Speciality dropped out of the gospel market, they signed for the Detroit House of Beauty label (HOB), which was owned by Carmen Murphy. They recorded at least 2 45’s produced by James Cleveland with the HOB label a Cleveland original “He Has Done Something For Me” and “One More River To Cross” with Laura on lead vocal. They also recorded for another Detroit label Mike Hank’s D-Town 203 “Is Your All On The Altar” and “The Love Of God”.

Meditation Singers: Speciality & Jubilee Recordings

Laura with Meditation Singers Late 50's

Laura spent nearly 20 years working with the Meditation Singers either recording with them or using them as backing singers or managing their business affairs. She also toured extensively with them from the mid-50’s until the late 60’s and they also did many backing sessions in Detroit.

By the end of the 50’s they were working regularly with the James Cleveland who was a family friend. He wrote and performed with them and due to his success they revitalised their contract with Specialty, which had lapsed after one recording in 1953. They did a total of 3 sessions with Speciality from 1953 to 1959, which are collected on the CD “Good News”. In 1958, they also appeared on Della Reese Presents The Meditation Singers Jubilee 1083.

Copacabana NY

Copacabana Poster Advertising Nat King Cole Late 50's

Success and exposure led to the Meditation Singers performing all over the States singing in clubs and churches. They sung in Washington DC and the “Copcabana” in New York, “We had top billing and we started off with the “Saints” then we graduated to 2 songs after Della did her secular spot. I would always close the song out. We only sang by ourselves in Detroit in local night clubs - all gospel music and we packed them in.”

Laura believes that the group crossed the racial divide so prevalent at the time; “ The audience was mixed though predominantly black and you could not get into those clubs because we performed wonderfully. Everybody in the group could sing lead – everybody had different voices and we get everybody a song to sing lead and everyone had different fans.” Laura also related several stories of her experience of travelling in the then segregated South during this time and the contrast with Detroit.

On The Road To Vegas

Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas Late 50's

Laura worked very hard with the Meditation Singers during her time with the group; “Every Friday we used to have our group rehearsal and we would either do it in our church or at our home. In our home, we had a baby grand piano and we fixed up the basement and we stated putting all our music down there.”

The Meditation Singers fame grew outside Detroit and they were in demand for shows and radio programmes, “One time we went to California when I was about 14-15 years old and we travelled all the way in a car. We sung on a radio programme with Mahalia Jackson.”

Della Reese’s success as a secular singer during the late 50’s also impacted on the group; “We were on the bill with Della Reese, she actually started the whole thing. It started with the song “When The Saints Come Marching In” She would do her whole secular show in the big room in Las Vegas in the Flamingo Hotel. At the end of the show, she would call her gospel group out and tell everybody that “I came from gospel music and I have brought my group out here and we want to sing a gospel song for you” – and they allowed it – she would sing a part then she would give me a part and that’s how everything came about.”

In Las Vegas, “I got a taste of that life and I said I don’t want to go back to school! It was so exciting and we had a home out there with a pool which we leased.” She met Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jnr and Sam Fletcher, “He (Sam) was crazy about me and I liked him and I would sneak over and have dinner with him.” She laughed, “ I was rather wild and I didn’t want to go back to school because I thought it was very dull.” Frank Sinatra even tried to record her for the Reprise label but her mum put a stop to that because she thought she was too young.

School And Dropping Out of College

North Eastern High School Detroit early 2000

Laura attended the North Eastern High School and she admitted that she would do anything to evade any kind of schoolwork to sing; “I only sang in the choir only in school to evade doing any kind of work. In the choirs at school, I sang alto I really didn’t have any formal training – it was just a gift from God – I just started singing and always had a love for music. At the weekend, we go out of town with the Meditation Singers and we would run back and forth. I would be so tired on Monday morning because I would have been singing with the group.”

She sang with the Meditation Singers throughout her high school days, “When I got to the 12th Grade I decided I wanted to drop out because the Meditation Singers where going on a tour and I wanted to go but I ended up in College. My Dad wanted me to got to the Lewis Business College because he wanted me to be an accountant. Guess what I wasted his money because I only went a year and dropped out – I wanted to travel!! My mum was saying I want her out here to sing with me and she won out.” She started to see herself as full time gospel singer, “I had gotten a taste of the world.”

Laura v Aretha

Aretha and her father CL Franklin circa 1960

The Meditation Singers used to receive requests to visit other churches. They would drive over in her father’s Cadillac and her Mum’s Pontiac Bonneville. One of the churches they visited was the Reverend CL Franklin’s New Bethel Baptist Church on Hastings Street. Laura said that, “Aretha Franklin and I grew up together – her Dad was a minister and my Dad was a minister.”

The Reverend Franklin also had a radio broadcast; “We would go to his church at night and they had a group called the Franklin Sisters and we would sing on her Dad’s broadcast sometimes.”

In the mid 50's, Laura once had a singing competition with Aretha to raise money at her adoptive father’s church; “One time we had a singing contest. It was not the one who could sing the best. It was the one who could raise the most money. She sang one song and I sang another – I won the contest!!

Erma Franklin and Laura were the best friends, “We used to let her sing with us because she could play and Carolyn Franklin wrote something for me one time which I tried to record.”

Taking Della Reese's Place In The Meditation Singers

Early publicity shot of Della Reese circa late 50's

It was not long before Laura got involved in the group; “I got into music right away with the Rundless’s because they had heard me when I was a little girl. They would always call me to do a solo. My adopted mother helped develop my little singing thing that I had going.”

Della Reese left the group in 1956 to join the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra and Laura replaced her. Laura said that Ernestine would; “Always push me out front in the Meditation Singers because actually I loved singing background. I was the greatest alto singer you would ever hear and people would look back there and go “Wow look at that one back there”. We had a thing going that we started that was very different in the gospel arena – we had dual lead singer – some of the groups used to copy us.” Carrie Williams also joined the group to make it a quintet. Laura says that there were at least 9 or 10 people in the group over the years including Herbert Carson who later joined the Herman Stevens Singers.

Laura began to do a lot of solo; “There was some songs that they would like to hear me sing and they would request them and they would write in to the church or call the station. One song she remembered singing was “God Will Take Care Of You” which she later recorded for Myrrh, “That was one of the songs I sung when I was a little girl.”

The congregation of the church was around 300 and they 3 different choirs – Senior, Junior and another choir called the Inspirational Course. They eventually moved to a larger church on Fischer Street on the Westside of Detroit. Laura became more involved with the choirs. “ My father asked me to direct the choirs. I always had a special ear to hear harmony and he let me teach the choirs and let me bring out great harmonies.”

A Musical Family

Early shot of Meditation Singers before Laura joins group circa 1950

Laura who already loved music was entering a rich musical family with her adoptive parents. The Reverend EA Rundless had been a member of the Soul Stirrers who had left the group in the 40’s to become the minister of the church. Laura told me; “He was the businessman of the group.” His business acumen was to rub off on her over the years. His wife Ernestine was the leader of the gospel group The Meditation Singers.

The group had originally been called the Moments of Meditation and had been formed in 1950 at the New Liberty Missionary Baptist Church for their radio show. Ernestine Rundless was lead soprano; Dellareese Early was lead and first soprano, Marie Waters alto and DeLillian Mitchell tenor with Emory Radford on piano. When Laura came to live with the Rundless’s, the Meditation Singers already had a large local following and had done many radio shows. They were the first Detroit group to reject acappella vocal traditions and have instrumental backing. They performed throughout the Midwest based on the success of the radio show and in early 1953 cut their first session at a local record store, which was later picked up by Deluxe.

Laura's adoptive father had a radio show called “New Liberty Missionary Baptist Church”; “It came on every Sunday at 6.15pm and lasted an hour and broadcast in the Detroit area – it reached up to Ann Arbour. Everyone loved my Dad and his saying on the radio “If God is your partner make your plans larger.”

A typical radio programme would open with Dell singing; “Della Reese would open the broadcast by singing the song “Are You Burden Worn and Weary? After she opened the choir would sing a couple of songs and then my Dad would come on with his saying – “If God is your partner make your plans larger.” Sometimes my Dad would sing and afterwards he would read the scriptures in the Bible and sometimes he would preach and sometimes he would let us close the broadcast with just singing from the choir.”

The Meditation Singers were put together by Reverend Rundless for the specific purpose of performing on the radio show; “He picked out certain people in the congregation who he thought could sing and put it together and made my mum the President. He had a good ear for music as well.”

Adoption By Rundless Family

Sunday worship at the Bethel AME Church in Detroit in 1950's reflected all over the city at that time

After Laura’s family moved to Detroit they worshiped at the Reverend Rundless’s New Liberty Missionary Baptist Church which then stood on the corner of Garfield and Russell Streets. When her mother got very ill she turned to the Rundless family for help because she thought she was dying and wanted them to look after her children. The Reverend EA Rundless and his wife Ernestine adopted Laura.

Though Helen did eventually recover she was very poor and Laura stayed on with her adoptive parents, “I was taken away from the “ghetto” life. With my biological parents I had a really tough time and that’s one of the reasons why I stayed on with the Rundless’s. My mother wanted me to have a better life. She was extremely poor and we did not have enough money to eat with. I would run around to the Rundless’s house for what they had left over and put it in a bag and take it back to my sister and brother. We stayed within 3 blocks of each other – I never lost contact with them.”

The Rundless’s couldn’t have children and cherished the young Laura; "They had a love for me – a special love for me out of all the kids in the church. You would swear that they had me because they never treated me any different.” I asked her why she was the only one who was adopted; “ My adopted mum would say, “I have one daughter and I don’t want any more!!” I think I was a bit much for her.”

The Little Girl Standing On The Chair In Church

Laura doesn't recall too much of her early years in Chicago, “ I was always the kind of child that wanted to go to church and sing.” She remembered that she attended the First Church of Deliverance in Chicago’s Southside; “They used to stand me on this chair because I was too little to reach the microphone and I always used to sing to them. I was just a little girl trying to belt it out.”

Her mother Helen loved music, Laura told me, “She was very shy and a quiet sweet woman. She used to sit me down and teach me the lyrics of songs when I was little – she was never a singer’s singer.” Laura was the only one in her family who sang.

You can see a photo of the inside of the First Church Of Deliverance here

Birth of Laura

Cook County Hospital, Chicago in 2003; the birthplace of Laura Lee

Laura Lee Newton was born on the Southside of Chicago in Cook County Hospital on March 9th 1945. Her family lived on Dearborn Street in Chicago’s Southside until her parents separated when she was about 7. Her mother Helen took Laura, and her sister Barbara and brother Nathaniel to Detroit and she never saw her father again.

"I'm Just Laura"

Laura in Detroit 2004 Courtesy of Dave Leedham

I have built up a rapport with Laura who is a very natural person to talk to. You can suddenly find yourself plunged into talking about all sorts of things, which help understand the lady; “I am Pisces. Very loyal, very loving and caring. We care more about people than we care about ourselves sometimes. I’m going to tell you the way it is and I am not going to beat about the bush and I am not going to be deceitful.”

When I suggested that Pisceans could be abrupt at times – she burst out laughing and said “Oh yeah! We can be abrupt at times but that only comes about if we are pressured from the other end.” I suggested that Pisceans could sometimes see things very quickly before others and get frustrated. She said that she had a spiritual eye; “I can see things that you guys can’t see. Its a gift for us because we can see further ahead than most people. Its called discerning of spirits and we sometimes get frustrated when people don’t understand us and most people misunderstand me and I am a loner because most people misunderstand me and I am as good as gold but they have to get to know me to love me.”

Since I first spoke to Laura in April 2004, I have met her several times and had countless conversations with her. She is both a deep and religious person who has suffered more than most. She has lost a lot a long the way but still remains a humble person. She told me; "If you want to know her then remember I’m Just Laura”

Meeting Up

Laura and David Washington at the Gibson Guitar Factory during the Stax Museum Opening Celebrations in April 2003

It never ceases to amaze me how you can make connections while talking to soul artists. Early in 2003, I made contact via the Internet with Ernie Hines – the former Stax recording artist. In a conversation with him he told me about a friend of his David Washington who had interviewed Laura Lee for an Internet radio station in Detroit. A couple of phone calls later and I was talking to the lady whose pictures had adorned my walls for years and who I had always dreamt of meeting and seeing perform.

In April 2003, we met up in Memphis, which resulted in me seeing her sing one song in Al Green’s church and visiting the Fame Studios where she had recorded her Chess classics. When she got home to Detroit she told me her story through a series of conversations which were later published in the UK magazine In The Basement.

After that we kept in touch and remain friends to this day and a long the way my company, Keeping Soul Alive brought her over to the Monsteras Blues Festival in May 2004 and the Utrecht Blues Festival in November 2004.

I decided with her agreement to set up this blog and dedicate it to telling people of her life in music which continues to this day. We are due to meet up again April this year for the USA Soul trip held in New Jersey where she will be performing.

You can also drop by a website set up for her by Ritchie Hardin called Soul Of Lady Laura Lee to see futher pictures and information plus please sign her guestbook.