LaVern Baker

LaVern Baker (born Nov. 11, 1929, Chicago, Ill., U.S.—died March 10, 1997, New York, N.Y.) was an American rhythm-and-blues singer notable for her vocal power and rhythmic energy. At age 17 she performed as Little Miss Sharecropper. Her 1955–65 tenure with Atlantic Records yielded 15 rhythm-and-blues hits, most notably “Tweedle Dee” (1955), “Jim Dandy” (1957), and “I Cried a Tear” (1959). Popular imitations of her recordings by white singers in the mid-1950s temporarily slowed her...