Fontella Bass- The Gospel Child

Born in St Louis, Missouri Fontella Bass grew up in an environment steeped in music.

She was raised by a mother and grandmother who were both gospel singers. Bass’ mother Martha was a part of the gospel group the Clara Ward Singers. Bass herself would accompany her grandmother on the piano in church from the time she was five years old. By the time she was ten she was already touring the Southern states with her mother’s group.

Bass was introduced to secular music by her maternal uncles who would sneak her into the blues clubs in St Louis. She too became a part of this club circuit when she was 17. In 1961, she began playing the piano for blues singer, Little Milton Campbell. She would later marry the band’s trumpeter Lester Bowie. Bass’ singing first caught the attention on Little Milton’s So Mean to Me in 1962. Soon after this Bass made her solo debut on Bobbin with I Don’t Hurt Any More.

When Little Milton and saxophonist Oliver Sain parted ways, Bass joined the Oliver Sain Soul Revue as its lead singer. In 1963 she released the single I Love The Man, produced by Ike Turner, following it up with Poor Little Fool, a duet with Tina Turner. Even as she performed with Sain, Bass also made solo appearances going by the name of “Sabrina”.

Bass and her husband Lester Bowie moved to Chicago in 1965 where she signed to the Chess subsidiary, Checker records. She released Don’t Mess Up A Good Thing, her duet with Bobby McClure the same year.Written and produced by Sain the track was an instant Top Ten hit. Encouraged by its success, Bass left Sain’s group to strike out on her own. She would however continue to collaborate with Sain for years to come.

The follow up Rescue Me consolidated Bass’s position as a solo artiste. Shooting to #1 on the R&B charts, it also became a huge crossover hit. It remains the song that Bass is always identified with. The track was remarkable for its combination of Bass’ gritty vocals with Louis Satterfield’s percolating bass and Gene Barge’s bright horn arrangements, all executed in the classic Stax/Volt style. Bass however did not receive credit for co-writing the song.

In 1966 Bass recorded Recovery, subsequently leaving the Checker label. A minor hit Sweet Lovin’ Daddy followed but Bass could not re-create the success of her early days.

By this time Bass’ husband Lester Bowie was an established avant garde jazz musician, playing with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. When he travelled to Paris with his band for a three year stint, Bass followed. During this time Bass focused her attention completely on her children, recording just a single album with Bowie’s band.

In 1971 Bass returned to the US and eventually renewed her connection with Sain. She released Who You Gonna Blame on the Paula label, closely followed by her most memorable album, the Sain-produced Free. A few lukewarm singles later, Bass left Paula in 1974.

Bass had just one more release Soon As I Touched Him on Epic in 1977, before she took another hiatus to be with her family. She returned in 1990 with the gospel album Promises: A Family Portrait of Faith on which she collaborated with her mother and brother David Peaston. Bass’ subsequent releases have all been in the gospel mode. They include No Ways Tired (1995) and Travellin’(2001).

Bass and Bowie divorced in 1978, but have remained collaborators professionally, reuniting on occasional projects.