Say “Fontella Bass” within earshot of anyone of a certain age, and the listener will most likely respond, “Rescue me.”
The sultry, angst-filled love song with a dance beat stormed the charts in 1965, was nominated for a Grammy Award the following year and remained forever anchored as one of the most recognized soul songs ever recorded.
“She did many things after ‘Rescue Me,’” said her daughter, Neuka Mitchell, “but she never got tired of singing it.”
Bass, a homegrown artist who became a household name in the U.S. and Europe, died last Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at Westchester House in Chesterfield of complications from a stroke she suffered Dec. 2. She was 72.
Bass had lived in Florissant for several years after having been a longtime resident of University City.
Her memorial service will be held Friday, Jan. 4, at Shalom Church’s Lindbergh campus.
Born to sing
Fontella Bass was born July 3, 1940, the daughter of Walter and Martha Bass Peaston. She inherited her voice. Her grandmother, Nevada Carter, was a gospel singer of some renown and her mother toured with the Clara Ward Singers.
Bass was singing in the church choir and sometimes accompanied her mother on piano. As she got older, she began performing at fairs and talent shows.
She got her start at the old Showboat Club when she was 17. After graduating from Soldan High School, she continued to sing and soon found steady work with the local Leon Claxton Show, part of a national revue. She played piano and sang in the chorus.
She also began playing piano for blues singer and guitarist Little Milton Campbell, who moved to the St. Louis area in the mid-‘50s and began recording with a small East St. Louis label, Bobbin Records. Bobbin became home to Ike Turner, Albert King and Oliver Sain.
It was her steppingstone to the biggest blues label of its time, Chess Records. She met the company’s promoters while playing for Campbell. They were looking to branch out into other genres, so she moved to Chicago and signed a deal.
Her first hit, “Don’t Mess Up A Good Thing,” a duet with Bobby McClure, was released by Chess in early 1965. It was followed that summer by “You’ll Miss Me (When I’m Gone),” which enjoyed modest success. Then she struck gold.
‘Rescue me’
Her signature song was released in the fall of 1965. It was a marriage of gospel and funk, courtesy of Bass’ sweet voice and the distinctive bass line of Chess session drummer Maurice White, of the future Earth, Wind, & Fire.
“‘Rescue Me’ put her on the map,” said Bass’ longtime friend and former producer, Bernie Hayes.
On Oct. 30, 1965, the song pushed Joe Tex’s “I Want to (Do Everything for You)” out of the top R&B singles spot, and remained at No. 1 for four consecutive weeks, until it was nudged aside by Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t That Peculiar.” It rose to No. 4 on the pop charts.
The record went gold and earned Bass the first of three Grammy nominations. It was nominated in the category of Contemporary Rock & Roll Female Vocal Performance; it lost to Petula Clark’s “I Know a Place.”
She enjoyed more modest success with singles “Recovery,” “I Can’t Rest” and “You’ll Never Know,” and an album The New Look before leaving Chess in 1967.
In 1970, Bass recorded two albums, The Art Ensemble of Chicago with Fontella Bass and Les Stances A Sophie. The Ensemble was an avant-garde jazz group co-founded by Bass’ then-husband, jazz composer and trumpeter Lester Bowie. They later divorced and he died in 1999.
She toured Europe with the Ensemble before returning to St. Louis in 1972 to raise her family.
With a career on hiatus, Bass had more time to fight for the royalties she never received for one of the most popular songs of all time. She claimed co-authorship of the song; Chess denied it.
“Rescue Me” has been covered by many artists, including Pat Benatar, Cher, Melissa Manchester, Linda Ronstadt and Aretha Franklin. To Bass’s chagrin, Pizza Hut hired Aretha Franklin to sing “Deliver Me” to the tune of “Rescue Me” in a 1991 television ad.
In 1993, she won an undisclosed settlement from American Express and the credit card’s ad agency for unauthorized use of “Rescue Me” in a commercial.
“She was an activist for her artistry,” Mitchell said. “She fought for freedom for herself and other artists.”
Voices of St. Louis
Bass continued to perform at charitable events, at music festivals, in cathedrals and on occasion in local clubs. That’s where she met two young jazz saxophonists, the Bosman Twins, in 1980.
“I made the mistake of calling ‘Rescue Me’ Aretha Franklin’s tune,” Dwight Bosman said. “I don’t know how we were able to become the best of friends after that.”
The Bosmans began touring with Bass as part of the Voices of St. Louis in the ‘90s, recording two albums with her: Live in Italy, which was never released in the U.S., and Travellin, her last album, recorded in 2001. The Voices of St. Louis also included Bass’ younger brother, former Showtime at the Apollo winner David Peaston, her son Bahnamous Bowie on keyboards and her son-in-law Tracy Mitchell on guitar.
“She had perfect pitch and she had her own thing,” said Dwayne Bosman. “I was infatuated with the sound of her voice and the quality of her musicianship. Her gift as a musician was phenomenal.”
She returned to her gospel roots in the mid-‘90s and received Grammy nominations for two gospel CDs, No Ways Tired and Speaking in Tongues.
She received a proclamation from Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr. on behalf of the city of St. Louis in 1995. She got her star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame in 2000. She performed at the Rhythm & Blues Foundation’s 12th annual Pioneer Awards at the Apollo Theatre in New York in 2001, where she was an award winner. Other honorees included Al Green and Sly & the Family Stone.
Bass was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, David Peaston, who died last February.
In addition to her daughter Neuka (Tracy) Mitchell of St. Louis and son Bahnamous (Gaylin) Bowie of New York, her survivors include another son and daughter, Larry (Marina) Stevenson and Ju’lene Coney, both of St. Louis, and 10 grandchildren.
A memorial service and musical tribute for Ms. Bass will be at 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 4, at Shalom Church, 5491 North Highway 67 (Lindbergh) in Florissant.
