Denise LaSalle

Early life LaSalle, the youngest of eight children, was born Ora D. (or Ora Dee) Allen on July 16, 1934, in an area then known as The Island, Her family worked as sharecroppers, and she had to pick cotton and take up other paid labor to support her family.

She was raised in Belzoni from age seven and sang in church choirs for local gospel groups around Leflore County.

She established an independent production company, Crajon, with her then husband Bill Jones. Reviewing her 1972 debut album of the same name, Robert Christgau wrote in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981): "LaSalle seems to be a songwriter first and a singer second, which may be why there's a certain professional anonymity about her unusual moods. But the voice is there—sensual, warm, even wise, ideal for [producer] Willie Mitchell's meditative Memphis funk. And because she's a pretty good songwriter, just about every one of these twelve tracks offers its professional pleasures."

She also wrote successful follow-ups, "Now Run and Tell That" and "Man Sized Job", which made #3 and number 4 in the R&B top ten and also charted in the Hot 100. Her early hits were recorded at the Hi recording studios in Memphis, operated by Mitchell, using the best southern session players. She continued to have hits and made three albums on the Westbound label.

In 1976, she moved to Jackson, Tennessee and signed a contract with ABC Records. On ABC she had another hit, "Love Me Right" (#10 R&B, #80 pop). ABC was taken over by MCA, and LaSalle made three albums for MCA. Her 1979 album, "Unwrapped" included a cover of Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy". In 1980, she released the "I'm So Hot" album which included another hit song she wrote, "Try My Love", which enjoyed considerable disco/dance club play in 1980. Super Wolf recorded rap song "Super Wolf Can Do It" also. She continued to perform live and to produce. Her co-penned song "Married, But Not to Each Other" was included on the 1979 compilation album The Best of Barbara Mandrell.

In 1982, LaSalle signed as songwriter for the Malaco label, where she wrote songs for Z.Z. Hill among others. She was then persuaded to also record herself; this resulted in the album Lady in the Street in 1983. She continued to record for Malaco for 15 years, and released a string of critically acclaimed albums, starting with Lady in the Street (1983) and Right Place, Right Time (1984). Her R&B, soul blues, and soul songs were played on urban radio stations in southern states. In 1985, she enjoyed her only recognition in the UK Singles Chart when her cover version of Rockin' Sidney's "My Toot Toot" reached #6.

She appeared at the 1984 and 1993 versions of the Long Beach Blues Festival. In 1993, she also performed at the San Francisco Blues Festival. Her album, Smokin' in Bed (1997), sold well.

LaSalle lived with her husband, James E. Wolfe, in Jackson, where she opened a restaurant called Blues Legend Café. The restaurant was located at 436 E. Main Street, but has since closed.

Personal life and death LaSalle married Artic Craig, a co-worker of her brother A.J. at Campbell Soup, in 1956 when she was 22. He was a disc jockey, ran several radio stations, became a preacher, and died in 2022.

Legacy In 2009, LaSalle was honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Belzoni. On June 6, 2015, LaSalle was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame.

1967

— — — 1971

— — — 1972

120 38 — 1973

— 46 — 1975

— — — 1976

— — — 1977

— 47 — 1978

— 58 — 1978

— — — 1979

— 46 — 1980

— — — 1981

— — — 1983

— 23 — 1984

— 38 — 1985

— 67 — 1986

48 — 1987

— — 1988

61 — 1990

27 — 1992

73 — 1994

— — 1997

69 10 1999

— — 2000

— — 2001

— — 2002

— — 2004

— — 2007

— 14 2010

— — 2019

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Compilation albums 1973: Doin' It Right 1985: My Toot Toot 1989: Holdin' Hands with the Blues 2001: I Get What I Want: Best of the ABC/MCA Years 2003: My Toot Toot: The Definitive Anthology 2013: Making A Good Thing Better - The Complete Westbound Singles 1970-76''

Singles Year Title Chart positions US USR&B USDance UK 1967 "A Love Reputation" — — — —1968 "Private Property" — — — — "Count Down (And Fly Me to the Moon)" — — — —1970 "Too Late to Check Your Trap" — — — — "Heartbreaker of the Year" — — — — 1971 "Trapped by a Thing Called Love" 13 1 — —1972 "Now Run and Tell That" 46 3 — — "A Man Sized Job" 55 4 — —1973 "What It Takes to Get a Good Woman" — 31 — — "Your Man and Your Best Friend" — 92 — — "Don't Nobody Live Here (By the Name of Fool)" — 67 — —1974 "Get Up Off My Mind" — 96 — — "Trying to Forget" — — — —1975 "My Brand on You" — 55 — — "Here I Am Again" — — — —1976 "Married, But Not to Each Other" 102 16 — — "Hellfire Loving" — — — —1977 "Freedom to Express Yourself" — 100 17 — "Love Me Right" 80 10 — —1978 "One Life to Live" — 87 — — "Workin' Overtime" — 70 — —1979 "P.A.R.T.Y. (Where It Is)" — 90 — — "Think About It" — — — —1980 "I'm So Hot" — 82 33 — "Try My Love" — — — —1981 "I'm Trippin' on You" — — — — "I'll Get You Some Help" — — — —1983 "A Lady in the Street" — — — — "Lay Me Down" — — — — "Down Home Blues" — — — —1984 "Right Place, Right Time" — — — — "Treat Your Man Like a Baby" — — — —1985 "My Toot Toot" — 79 — 6 "Santa Claus Got the Blues" — — — —1986 "What's Going On in My House" — — — — "Let the Four Winds Blow" — — — — 1987 "Hold What You've Got" — — — —1989 "Don't Cry No More" — — — — "Bring It On Home to Me" — — — — "I Forgot to Remember" — — — — 1990 "Drop That Zero" — — — —1992 "Don't Jump My Pony" — — — — "When We're Making Love" — — — — 1995 "Right Side of the Wrong Bed" — — — — 2001 "There's No Separation" — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.