Venetta Fields

Venetta Lee Fields (born 1941) is an American-Australian singer, musical theatre actress, and vocal coach. She began her career singing in church and local gospel groups in Buffalo, New York, before gaining prominence in the 1960s as an Ikette with the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. After leaving the group in 1965, she co-founded the Mirettes in 1966 and later became a founding member of the vocal trio the Blackberries.

Fields went on to establish a prolific career as a session and touring backing vocalist, working with artists including Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Humble Pie, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Steely Dan, Boz Scaggs, Bob Seger. After emigrating to Australia in 1982, she became an Australian citizen and continued her career there, performing and recording with artists such as John Farnham, Jimmy Barnes, Cold Chisel, Australian Crawl, and Tim Finn.

Life and career

Early life Fields was born in Buffalo, New York in 1941, into a religious family. Her early musical training was from regular gospel performances at church.

Transitioning from church singing to rock and roll proved challenging. "I went from being a gospel singer right into rock and roll," she said, noting the difficulty of adjusting while touring the Deep South during the era of the Civil Rights Movement. She was given solos to perform during shows, such as "The Love of My Man" on the album Ike & Tina Turner Revue Live (1964), "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)," and "Good Time Tonight" on Live! The Ike & Tina Turner Show (1965).

In 1965, the Ikettes released the Top 40 hit "Peaches 'N' Cream" (Pop #36, R&B #28) and "I'm So Thankful" (Pop #74, R&B #12) on Modern Records. By late 1965, Fields left the revue along with fellow Ikettes Jessie Smith and Robbie Montgomery. Fields later relocated to Los Angeles after leaving the revue. In 1969, the trio sang background for the soundtrack The Lost Man, produced by Quincy Jones. By 1970, Fields had left the group and was replaced by former Ikette Pat Powdrill.

Session vocalist

In 1969, Fields began working as a session vocalist alongside Clydie King and Sherlie Matthews. The trio, all established session singers, first came together to sing background for the Supremes, followed by Pacific Gas & Electric.

They formed the vocal trio the Blackberries at the suggestion of Steve Marriott of Humble Pie. As session singers, Fields and her collaborators contributed to major recordings, including the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St. (1972), on which Fields and King performed on tracks such as "Tumbling Dice", "I Just Want to See His Face", "Let It Loose" and "Shine a Light." She also emphasized the group's musical approach, stating that "we knew gospel… that's what most people wanted from us, a gospel sound." Their contributions were noted on recordings such as Eat It (1973), where their backing vocals were prominently featured. The trio also performed with Pink Floyd on the Dark Side of the Moon Tour in 1973, and contributed vocals to the album Wish You Were Here (1975).

They recorded extensively for several artists in the 1970s, including Aretha Franklin, Paul Butterfield, Tim Buckley, Steely Dan, Joe Walsh, Joe Cocker, Elkie Brooks, Neil Diamond, Leonard Cohen, Bob Seger, Burt Bacharach, Rita Coolidge, Ambrosia, Leon Russell, Boz Scaggs, Frankie Valli, and Burton Cummings.

In 1976, Fields and King appeared as backing vocalists (credited as the Oreos) for Barbra Streisand in the musical film A Star Is Born, and performed on its accompanying soundtrack. Back in the US she provided backing vocals for So Lucky (1981), by Renée Geyer – the Australian artist was then working in California. Fields decided to relocate permanently to Australia in 1982 because she wanted to "get away to somewhere where I could start again."

In 1986, she formed and toured her own show, Gospel Jubilee; the line-up of the band of the same name was Joanne Campbell, Joe Creighton, Chong Lim, Sherlie Mathews and Fellon Williams. Debbie Kruger of Variety magazine caught the show at the State Theatre in March 1987, "Midway through the show, Farnham left the stage, and backing singer Venetta Fields sang three songs which kept the audience warm but eager for more of their hero."

In January 1989, Fields made her musical theater debut as Alice in the Australian production of Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney. She followed with other stage appearances, including two plays for the Melbourne Theatre Company – Racing Demon (1991) and The Crucible (1991)

Later years Fields lives in Bendigo, Victoria. She no longer tours or records with visiting artists. 1970: Fever Tree – For Sale 1970: Paul Butterfield – Live 1970: Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered 1971: Barbra Streisand – Stoney End 1971: Barbra Streisand – Barbra Joan Streisand 1971: Graham Nash – Songs for Beginners 1971: Paul Butterfield – Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin 1971: Spirit – Feedback 1972: The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St. 1972: The Doors – Full Circle 1972: Tim Buckley – Greetings from L.A. 1972: Steely Dan – Can't Buy a Thrill 1972: Freddy Robinson - At the Drive-In 1973: Humble Pie – Eat It 1973: Diana Ross – "Touch Me in the Morning" 1973: Joe Walsh – The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get 1973: Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon Tour 1973: Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee – Sonny & Brownie 1974: Humble Pie – Thunderbox 1974: Joe Cocker – I Can Stand a Little Rain 1974: Gene Clark – No Other 1974: Tim Buckley – Look at the Fool 1975: Humble Pie – Street Rats 1975: Joe Cocker – Jamaica Say You Will 1975: Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here 1975: The Doobie Brothers – Stampede 1975: Elkie Brooks – Rich Man's Woman 1975: Bonnie Raitt – Home Plate 1976: Steve Marriott – Marriott 1976: Neil Diamond – Beautiful Noise 1976: Steely Dan - The Royal Scam 1977: Alice Cooper – Lace and Whiskey 1977: Leonard Cohen – Death of a Ladies' Man 1977: Steely Dan – Aja 1978: Dr. John – Hollywood Be Thy Name 1978: Bob Seger – Stranger in Town 1978: Burton Cummings – Dream of a Child 1978: Chuck Girard – Take It Easy 1978: Neil Diamond – You Don't Bring Me Flowers 1978: Jean Terrell – I Had to Fall in Love 1979: Elkie Brooks – Live and Learn 1979: Burt Bacharach – Together? 1979: Neil Diamond – September Morn 1980: Boz Scaggs – Middle Man 1980: Syreeta - Syreeta 1982: Tim Finn – Escapade 1984: Richard Clapton – Solidarity 1984: Jimmy Barnes – Bodyswerve 1988: John Farnham – Age of Reason 1989: Richard Clapton – The Best Years of Our Lives 1990: John Farnham – Chain Reaction

Credits at AllMusic