Real name: Marie Roach

Effective period / Period of releases: 1946 - 2007

American contralto gospel singer, pianist and songwriter.
She started her first recordings in 1946, then for Decca in duet with Sister Rosetta Tharpe. In 1954, she has her first solo record and two years later left Decca for Mercury. She did few non-religious records in mid 60s without any real success. She toured with Brook Benton, the Drifters, and Clyde McPhatter, and regularly reunited onstage with Tharpe.

Born: 1 June 1920, Sanford, Florida, US.
Died: 30 August 2009, Harlem, New York, US (age of 89).