New Orleans soul singer Jean Knight has died aged 80.
The singer was most widely recognised for her smash hit track ‘Mr Big Stuff’, which was released back in 1971 and became a hit across the UK and US. Upon its release, it spent five weeks at the top of the R&B singles chart and peaked at Number Two on the pop charts.
News of her death was confirmed by her longtime friend Bernie Cyrus, who told Rolling Stone that the singer had passed away aged 80.
“She was the first person we appointed on the board when we took it over and we had a long relationship with her and she was just fabulous,” Cyrus – who served as the executive director of the Louisiana Music Commission for two decades – told the outlet.
“She was always willing to get involved with good causes and help out,” he added. “‘Mr. Big Stuff’ — it was just so universal. People remember it. And look, so many people covered it. But nobody did it like Jean.”
No cause of death has been announced at the time of writing.
Knight began her career by singing publicly after graduating from high school, she then gathered momentum around the New Orleans scene as she caught the eye of local bands.
Her first song was shared in 1965 – a demo of Jackie Wilson’s ‘Stop Doggin’ Me Around’, which led to a recording contract with Jet Star and Tribe Records.
Knight’s big break didn’t arrive until five years later, when she began working with record producer Wardell Quezergue, who ultimately helped her write the soon-to-be hit ‘Mr Big Stuff’. The track was released in 1971 via Stax Records and went on to become one of the most successful tracks ever to be shared by the label.
As highlighted by Rolling Stone, the single went on to reach double-platinum status and earned Knight a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance in the women’s category.
Other highlights of her long career included teaming up with producer Isaac Bolden and his Soulin’ label on ‘You Got the Papers (But I Got the Man)’ and her version of the song ‘My Toot Toot’ – a track she shared in 1985 which was a cover of the Rockin’ Sydney classic.
In more recent years, back in 2007, she was inducted into the Louisiana Music Commission Hall of Fame, and her song ‘Do Me’ appeared in the film Superbad.
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