Not sure if I should post this in Soul Radio, please move if appropraite.

Came across this on Radio 4 Sun 25 May 2014 13:30 on playback

 

Try A Little Tenderness: The Lost Legacy of Little Miss Cornshucks

Chicago. It's the late 1930's and a young Mildred Cummings from Dayton, Ohio is barefoot, standing in the spotlight on stage, wearing that same old shabby dress and a broken straw hat. This is Little Miss Cornshucks and she has the audience in the palm of her hand, a unique act and larger than life personality. By the 1940's she made top-billing at nightclubs across America, performing heartbreaking ballads. The great Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records, the man who pioneered the rhythm and blues said "She could sing the blues better than anybody I've ever heard."

But who remembers her now?

Author and poet Salena Godden invites you to join her in downtown Chicago as she goes in search of the missing legacy of Little Miss Cornshucks, the best blues singer you never heard.

 

 

Quite a good feel of Chicago, worth checking on BB player

The late great Randy Cozens used to rave over her "It Do Me So Good" on Chess...... Really great record it is..... Sort of Esther Phillips feel to it...... Check it out if you don't know it,

Best, Ivor

The late great Randy Cozens used to rave over her "It Do Me So Good" on Chess...... Really great record it is..... Sort of Esther Phillips feel to it...... Check it out if you don't know it,

Best, Ivor

all i can say is hauntingly beautiful, new one to me , love it 

heres  another great tune

 

Posted it up on my FB page earlier. She influenced some of the female soul singers who came later. Here's the link to the show.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b042zsxx

just had a look around on evil bay, no cd compilations,no 45,s , a couple of vinyl albums but some very nice 78,s for sale

heres  another great tune

 

Great version of the old Johnny Ace song. 

The late great Randy Cozens used to rave over her "It Do Me So Good" on Chess...... Really great record it is..... Sort of Esther Phillips feel to it...... Check it out if you don't know it,

Best, Ivor

 

I've just listened to this on YouTube, excellent. There are quite a few of her records on YouTube ,her versions of standards are pretty good imo. I suspect she influenced Esther Phillips as i think the latter started recording later.

Yep…….Im sure you're probably right regarding Esther Phillips being influenced by her. I only mentioned Esther Phillips because I just assumed most people wouldn't be familiar with the vocal style of Little Miss Cornshucks and I think Esthers style is very similar. I didn't know her "Never Let Me Go" which Codfromderby posted up either..thats really nice as well. So were all happy ! The great thing about these sort of records is that when you do stumble upon them,normally they aren't dear either……..

  Thanks,

        Ivor

The late great Randy Cozens used to rave over her "It Do Me So Good" on Chess...... Really great record it is..... Sort of Esther Phillips feel to it...... Check it out if you don't know it,

Best, Ivor

I have a Chess promo downstairs if anyone fancies buying it.