Real name: Bessie Grace Upton

Effective period / Period of releases: 1968 - 2015

Bessie, born in Alabama, began her career in Detroit, more commonly recording as Tobi Lark, and singing backing vocals for artists such as BB King and Wilson Pickett, Duke Ellington, Ben E King and Cannonball Adderley.
She recorded a demo in Connecticut in 1968 and (to quote her) "They released it and had the nerve to change my name on the release to Tobi Legend". The record, side A Tobi Legend - Time Will Pass You By / Heartbreaker became an anthem on the Northern Soul scene in the UK and particularly as the one of the 3 before 8 at the famous Wigan Casino club
She talks about it in the first 2 minutes of the linked video