Jean Knight
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Jean Knight (born Jean Caliste on January 26, 1943 in New Orleans, Louisiana), is an African-American soul/R&B/funk singer, best known for her 1971 Stax Records hit, "Mr. Big Stuff."
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early years
After graduating from high school, Caliste began singing at her cousin's bar 'Laura's Place' and caught the attention of many different bands who were willing to accompany her. In 1965, she recorded a demo of a cover of Jackie Wilson's song "Stop Doggin' Me Around."[citation needed] Her demo attracted record producer Huey Meaux, who signed her to the Jet Star/Tribe labels. Shortly thereafter, Caliste adopted the professional name of "Jean Knight," because she felt that her surname was too hard to pronounce. She recorded four singles, making a name for herself locally, but was not able to attract any national attention. By the late 1960s, it was obvious that her career was not living up to her high expectations, so she went to work as a baker in the cafeteria of Loyola University.
[edit] Success at Stax
In early 1970, she was discovered by songwriter Ralph Williams, who wanted her to record some songs. With Williams' connections, she came in contact with record producer Wardell Quezergue. In May of that year, she went to Malaco Studios in Jackson, Mississippi for a recording session in which she recorded "Mr. Big Stuff." After the session was finished, the song was given to several national labels, who all rejected it. But when King Floyd's hit "Groove Me" (also recorded at Malaco Studios) became a #1 R&B hit in early 1971, Stax Records remembered Knight's recording of "Mr. Big Stuff," reconsidered, and released it. The song proved to be an instant smash in 1971, reaching #2 on the pop charts and becoming a #1 R&B hit. It went double-platinum and received a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female; it lost to Aretha Franklin's version of "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The next year, Knight was named the "Most Promising Female Vocalist". An album of the same name proved to be fairly successful. A couple more minor hits followed, but disagreements with her producer and Stax terminated Knight's involvement with Stax.
[edit] Later years
After leaving Stax, Knight recorded songs for various small labels, but was not able to gain any more recognition. She ended up performing and touring the local oldie circuits. Things changed in 1981, when she met local producer Isaac Bolden. Bolden signed her to his Soulin' label. Together, they came up with a song entitled "You Got the Papers but I Got the Man," an "answer song" to Betty Wright's hit, "I've Got the Papers on the Man"; that song was leased to Atlantic Records for national release. Soon, Knight found herself touring consistently. In 1985, she gained more recognition when she covered Rockin' Sidney's zydeco novelty hit, "My Toot Toot." Her version proved to be most successful, reaching #50 on the pop charts. Knight was then given a chance to perform it on the TV variety show Solid Gold.
Although she waited twelve years to come out with another recording, she continued touring and performing engagements all over the world, particularly in the Southern states. In 2003, she performed her biggest hit, "Mr. Big Stuff", on the PBS special Soul Comes Home. Knight has talent running in the family; her great nephews are Gerard Caliste (a Visual Artist) and Swedish Hip hop Artist Mattias Lindström Caliste who is part of the Scandinavian Rap group Fjärde Världen. Knight continues to tour and make live performances, often with such artists as Donna Summer and Gloria Gaynor.
In October of 2007, the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame honored Jean Knight for her contributions to Louisiana music by inducting her into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
[edit] Discography
Standard albums
- 1971: Mr. Big Stuff
- 1985: My Toot Toot
- 1997: Shaki de Boo-Tee
- 1999: Queen
Compilations
- 1997: The Very Best of Me
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | |||
| 1971 | "Mr. Big Stuff" | 1 | 1 | Mr. Big Stuff |
| "You Think You're Hot Stuff" | 57 | 19 | Mr. Big Stuff (included on the album as a bonus track after the album's rerelease) |
|
| 1972 | "Carry On" | - | 44 | |
| "Do Me" | - | - | ||
| 1981 | "You Got the Papers but I Got the Man" (as Jean Knight & Premium) |
- | - | The Very Best of Me |
| 1985 | "My Toot Toot" | 50 | 59 | My Toot Toot |
