mickey champion

Biography

Mickey Champion, born Mildred Sallier on April 9, 1925, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, was raised by her aunts and discovered her vocal talent singing in Lake Charles Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, where her grandfather served as a bishop. She joined a vocal trio and impressed bandleader Louis Jordan during high school, though family pressure led her to decline his offer to join his troupe. After graduating, she married Norman Champion in 1945 and moved to Los Angeles, launching her career as Little Mickey Champion in the city's vibrant nightclub scene, gaining fame for her powerful, microphone-free vocals.[1][4][5]

Champion's career flourished in the late 1940s and early 1950s as she performed alongside blues and R&B luminaries including T-Bone Walker, Little Esther Phillips, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, and Jackie Wilson. After divorcing Norman, she married bandleader Roy Milton in the mid-1950s, recording several sides with him until his death in 1983. She released four singles and demos during this period. In the 1960s, she stepped back from touring to raise her family but continued weekend nightclub gigs. She made a late-career resurgence with albums like I'm Your Living Legend (1999, Tondef), Live at the Living Room (1999, R&M Sound), and What You Want (2002, Tondef).[1][5]

Champion's blues style, rooted in boogie-woogie and powerful gospel-influenced vocals, spanned over five decades until her death from strokes on November 24, 2014, in Los Angeles. Her legacy endures as a formidable vocalist who bridged early R&B nightclub scenes with later blues revival recordings.[1]

Fun Facts

• Champion's reputation for powerful vocals grew so much that she performed without a microphone in Los Angeles nightclubs.
• She turned down an offer from Louis Jordan to join his band due to family insistence after high school.
• Her first marriage to Norman Champion ended quickly after their 1945 move to Los Angeles, after which she adopted the stage name Little Mickey Champion.
• Despite a long hiatus in the 1960s-1990s for family, she returned with albums in her 70s.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Louis Jordan - Bandleader who praised her singing in high school and offered her a spot in his troupe (None recorded together) [Early 1940s]

Key Collaborators

• Roy Milton - Husband, bandleader, and recording partner (Several sides recorded together) [Mid-1950s to 1983]
• T-Bone Walker - Performed alongside in nightclubs (None specified) [Late 1940s-early 1950s]
• Little Esther Phillips - Performed alongside in nightclubs (None specified) [Late 1940s-early 1950s]
• Billie Holiday - Performed alongside in nightclubs (None specified) [Late 1940s-early 1950s]
• Duke Ellington - Performed alongside in nightclubs (None specified) [Late 1940s-early 1950s]
• Ray Charles - Performed alongside in nightclubs (None specified) [Late 1940s-early 1950s]
• Jackie Wilson - Performed alongside in nightclubs (None specified) [Late 1940s-early 1950s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia