Valerie Wellington

Valerie Wellington (November 14, 1959 – January 2, 1993)[2] was an American singer who, in her short career, switched from singing opera to singing Chicago blues and electric blues.[1] On her 1984 album, Million Dollar $ecret, she worked with Sunnyland Slim, Billy Branch, and Magic Slim.[3] She also worked with Lee "Shot" Williams.[2]

Valerie Wellington
Birth nameValerie Eileen Hall
Born(1959-11-14)November 14, 1959
Chicago, Illinois, United States
DiedJanuary 2, 1993(1993-01-02) (aged 33)
Maywood, Illinois
GenresChicago blues, electric blues[1]
Occupation(s)Singer, actress
InstrumentsVocals
Years activeLate 1970s–1992
LabelsFlying Fish

Biography

She was born Valerie Eileen Hall in Chicago, Illinois.[1] She was trained as an opera singer and graduated from the American Conservatory of Music,[4] but in 1982 she took up singing the blues in Chicago clubs.[1] She also worked in theater, playing roles portraying earlier blues singers, such as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. Her opera training enabled her to project her voice to theater audiences.[1] She appeared at the 1984 San Francisco Blues Festival, on a bill with Marcia Ball and Katie Webster.[5]

Her recorded work blended a traditional vaudeville approach with a contemporary Chicago blues format. Wellington made few recordings, but her voice was used in advertisements on television and radio.[1] Her recording of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" was used on the soundtrack of the 1989 film Great Balls of Fire!, in which she briefly appeared, depicting Big Maybelle. In the same year, she toured Japan with Carlos Johnson.

Wellington died of a cerebral aneurysm in Maywood, Illinois, in January 1993, at the age of 33.[2] She was interred at the Restvale Cemetery, in Alsip, Illinois.

Million Dollar $ecret was reissued by Rooster Blues in 1995.[3]

Discography
YearTitle[6]Record label
1984Million Dollar $ecretFlying Fish
1991Life in the Big CityGBW (Japan)
gollark: I wholeheartedly disagree with removal of apioderivative words.1. This is dubious. Current research suggests nonlinear apioformic effects, where high use of apio-derived words leads to increased use due to memetic contamination, rather than a conserved/fixed level of apiodensity.2. I am, in any case, inevitable. Additionally, I do not consider this good.3. This appears to contradict #1 somewhat. We have also proven unable to displace the "apioform"/"bee" meme, despite previous attempts. If you want to remove it, come up with better memetics.
gollark: Wrong.
gollark: Did you know? There have been many incidents in the past where improper apiary safety protocols have lead to unbounded tetrational apiogenesis, also referred to as a VK-class "universal apiary" scenario. Often, the fallout from this needs to be cleaned up by moving all sentient entities into identical simulated universes, save for the incident occurring. This is known as "retroactive continuity", and modern apiaries' safety systems provide this functionality automatically.
gollark: I am not in any way a pizza, related to pizza, or advertising pizzas. I have had no commercial or personal relations with pizza companies, and do not, in fact, regularly eat pizza. I am not engaged in any form of pizza advertising, subliminal or otherwise. Any claims to the contrary will be considered wrong and bad, and should not be promulgated.
gollark: Wow, the sheer activity.

See also

References
  1. O'Neal, Jim. "Valerie Wellington". AllMusic. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  2. Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 1992–1993". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  3. "Million Dollar $ecret – Valerie Wellington | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  4. "Valerie Wellington". Jet. Vol. 83 no. 12. Johnson Publishing Company. January 18, 1993. p. 56.
  5. "San Francisco Blues Festival". Sfblues.com. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  6. "Valerie Wellington | Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
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