Doris Duke
b. Doris Curry, 1945, Sandersville, Florida, USA. Duke emerged from a variety of gospel groups including the Raspberry Singers (which included Chuck Jackson), the David Sisters, the Evangelistic Gospel Singers and the Caravans. Between 1963 and 1967 Duke worked as a New York session singer, before recording a solo single under the name Doris Willingham. In 1968 she toured Europe with Nina Simone and subsequently came under the aegis of producer Jerry ‘ Swamp Dogg’ Williams. Several superb records followed including I Don't Care Anymore and To The Other Woman (I'm The Other Woman) (1970), the latter reaching number 7 in the R&B charts. In spite of an excellent album, I'M A LOSER, Doris Duke failed to achieve mainstream success and her recording career faltered in the latter half of the '70s. Duke briefly re-emerged in 1981 with a new album, FUNKY FOX.