Rita Coolidge

Rita Coolidge (born May 1, 1945 in Nashville, Tennessee) is a American singer.

Related Topics:
May 1 - 1945 - Nashville, Tennessee - American - Singer

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Coolidge's early career was as a backing vocalist, for artists such as Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton and Leon Russell. She became known as "The Delta Lady" and inspired Leon Russell to write a song of the same name for her. It was during this time that she met Kris Kristofferson and they married in 1973. With him she recorded several duet albums which sold well, and earned them a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1974 for From The Bottle To The Bottom, and in 1976 for Lover Please.

Related Topics:
Joe Cocker - Eric Clapton - Leon Russell - Kris Kristofferson - Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal - 1974 - 1976

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She had several solo hit singles during the late 1970s with cover versions. Her first hit, "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher And Higher" (originally recorded by Jackie Wilson), was also her highest seller, reaching number two on the US charts in 1977.

Related Topics:
Cover versions - Jackie Wilson - 1977

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Other hits were "We're All Alone" (originally recorded by Boz Scaggs), "I Don't Want To Talk About It" (Rod Stewart), "The Way You Do the Things You Do" (The Temptations), You (Marcia Hines) and "I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love" (Carole Bayer Sager).

Related Topics:
Boz Scaggs - Rod Stewart - The Way You Do the Things You Do - The Temptations - Marcia Hines - Carole Bayer Sager

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She scored her last hit in 1983, with "All Time High" from the James Bond film Octopussy.Another well known movie song although not really a hit for coolidge was the love theme from the movie Splash "Love Came For Me, music by Lee Holdridge and lyrics by Will Jennings

Related Topics:
1983 - James Bond - Octopussy - Splash - Lee Holdridge - Will Jennings

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Her marriage to Kristofferson ended in 1980.

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In 1997, Rita was one of the founding members of a Native American music focused trio, named Walela--the word for hummingbird in Cherokee. Rita is member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Walela includes her sister Priscilla and Priscilla's daughter Laura Satterfield, following their participation in Robbie Robertson's Music for the Native Americans project The group released a self-titled album in 1997 and an album entitled Unbearable Love in 2000.

Related Topics:
Cherokee - Robbie Robertson

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In 2004, Rita released a huge anthology of her complete career, entitled DELTA LADY The Rita Coolidge Anthology.

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