Denise Lasalle

Biography

Denise LaSalle, born Ora D. Allen on July 16, 1934, near Sidon in Leflore County, Mississippi, grew up on a plantation and later in Belzoni, where she absorbed early influences from country music, gospel, and blues artists like Elmore James and Sonny Boy Williamson No. 2. Singing in cotton fields as a child and later with the all-female gospel group Sacred Five at age thirteen, she moved to Chicago in her mid-teens around 1952, wrote stories for magazines, and transitioned to songwriting, adopting the stage name LaSalle for its French flair. Working as a barmaid in 1963, she met Billy 'The Kid' Emerson, leading to her recording debut in 1967 with 'A Love Reputation' on his Tarpon label, a regional hit.[1][3][4]

LaSalle's career breakthrough came in 1971 with the No. 1 R&B hit 'Trapped by a Thing Called Love' on Westbound Records, followed by Top Ten singles 'Now Run and Tell That' and 'Man Sized Job.' She recorded for ABC/MCA in the mid-1970s, then signed with Malaco Records in 1984, shifting toward soul blues with hits like 'My Toot Toot' (UK #6 in 1985) and albums such as 'Smokin' in Bed' (1997), which won the Living Blues Critics’ Award. Known for her provocative, direct style blending R&B, funk, blues, and country, she founded her own labels like Crajon Enterprises (1969 with then-husband Bill Jones) and Ordena, and later Ecko Records and Malaco releases, producing over 35 albums and 50 hit singles.[1][2][3][4]

Dubbed the 'Queen of the Blues' after Koko Taylor's death, LaSalle was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011. She lived in Jackson, Tennessee, with husband James E. Wolfe (Super Wolf), operating the Blues Legend Café and a radio station, and founded the National Association for the Preservation of the Blues in 1986 to promote soul blues. She passed away on January 8, 2018.[1][2][4][5]

Fun Facts

• Changed her name to 'LaSalle' because it 'sounded French' after writing stories for magazines like Tan and True Confessions at age fifteen.[4]
• Worked as a barmaid at Mix's Lounge in Chicago, where she was discovered by Billy 'The Kid' Emerson.[1]
• Opened Blues Legend Café at 436 E. Main Street in Jackson, Tennessee, with husband James Wolfe, which later closed.[1][2]
• Founded the National Association for the Preservation of the Blues in 1986 to advocate for soul blues airplay and artist recognition.[2][3][4]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Billy 'The Kid' Emerson - Discovered her while working as a barmaid and launched her recording career ('A Love Reputation' (1967) on Tarpon label) [1963-1967]

Key Collaborators

• Bill Jones - Then-husband; co-founded Crajon Enterprises (Crajon label recordings) [1969]
• Bill Coday - Recorded her song as a major hit ('Get Your Lie Straight' on Crajon label) [1969-1970s]
• James E. Wolfe (Super Wolf) - Husband; business partner in Blues Legend Café and radio station (N/A) [Later career]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Right Place, Right Time (Right Place, Right Time)
2. Trapped By a Thing Called Love (This Real Woman)
3. A Love Reputation (Chess Soul: A Decade Of Chicago’s Finest)
4. Don't Mess With My Toot Toot
5. My Tu-Tu (Love Talkin')
6. A Lady In The Street (A Lady In The Street)
7. I'm So Hot (I'm So Hot)
8. Trapped...1990 (Still Trapped)
9. Your Husband Is Cheatin' On Us (Right Place, Right Time)
10. Down Home Blues (Xrated) (A Lady In The Street)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #2008-universal-fire-victim, #blues, #funk