Dee Dee Sharp - WikiHQ

Dione LaRue (born September 9, 1945), known professionally as Dee Dee Sharp, is an American R&B singer.

After beginning her career as a backing vocalist, Sharp had a string of hit records as a solo artist in the 1960s: "Mashed Potato Time" (1962), "Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)" (1962), "Ride!" (1962), and "Do the Bird" (1963). She later had dance hits with the songs "Share My Love" (1975) and "Breaking and Entering" (1981).

Life and career

Early life and education

Sharp began playing the piano from an early age and directed church choirs for her grandfather's and other congregations in her hometown of Philadelphia.

She grew up in North Philadelphia and graduated from Overbrook High School.

Career

When Sharp was thirteen, her mother suffered a car accident, which spurred her to find a singing job to help support the family while her mother recovered from her injuries. After Sharp promised to keep up with her schooling, she received her grandmother's blessing. She was later asked to accompany Checker as his opening act when he was scheduled to appear at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. "Do the Bird" provided her only entry in the UK Singles Chart, where it peaked at No. 46 in April 1963.

From 1962 to 1981 she appeared several times on American Bandstand, the ABC Television Network music-performance and dance series hosted by Dick Clark. She was also a regular feature on Clark's Caravan of Stars tours. Sharp recorded for Gamble Records and Philadelphia International, and she worked with Gamble & Huff behind the scene at various iterations of TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) Records. After defeating Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title in Miami, Ali proposed to her, but he insisted on consulting Malcolm X before making any final plans. Sharp was allegedly told by Malcolm X that they could only get married if she agreed to become a black Muslim.

Discography

Dee Dee Sharp has released 9 studio albums and 14 compilation albums.

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan="2"| Year

! rowspan="2"| Album

! colspan="2"| Peak chart positions

! width="40"|US

! width="40"|US R&B

! width="40"|UK

| rowspan="4"| 1962

|"Mashed Potato Time" b/w "Set My Heart at Ease" (Non-album track)

| style="text-align:center;"|Cameo 212

| style="text-align:center;"| 2

| style="text-align:center;"| 1

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 2

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|rowspan="3"|It's Mashed Potato Time

|"Slow Twistin'" (Chubby Checker & Dee Dee Sharp) b/w "La Paloma Twist" (by Chubby Checker, non-album track)

| style="text-align:center;"|Parkway 835

| style="text-align:center;"| 3

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 18

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)" b/w "Baby Cakes" (Non-album track)

| style="text-align:center;"|Cameo 219

| style="text-align:center;"| 9

| style="text-align:center;"| 11

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 12

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Ride!" b/w "The Night" (Non-album track)

| style="text-align:center;"|Cameo 230

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

| style="text-align:center;"| 7

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 15

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|All the Hits by Dee Dee Sharp Volume II

| rowspan="3"| 1963

|"Do the Bird" b/w "Lover Boy" (from Hullabaloo with the Stars*)

| style="text-align:center;"|Cameo 244

| style="text-align:center;"| 10

| style="text-align:center;"| 8

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 32

| style="text-align:center;"| 46

|Do the Bird

|"Rock Me in the Cradle of Love" b/w "You'll Never Be Mine" (from Hullabaloo with the Stars*)

| style="text-align:center;"|Cameo 260

| style="text-align:center;"| 43

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 36

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|Biggest Hits

|"Wild!" b/w "Why Doncha Ask Me?" (from Do the Bird)

| style="text-align:center;"|Cameo 274

| style="text-align:center;"| 33

| style="text-align:center;"| 25

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 27

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|All the Hits with All the Stars*

| rowspan="5"| 1964

|"Where Did I Go Wrong" /

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"|Cameo 296

| style="text-align:center;"| 82

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|Shindig with the Stars*

|"Willyam, Willyam"

| style="text-align:center;"| 97

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|Hullabaloo with the Stars Vol. 2*

|"Never Pick a Pretty Boy" b/w "He's No Ordinary Guy" (Non-album track)

| style="text-align:center;"|Cameo 329

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|Hits a Go-Go with the Stars*

|"Deep Dark Secret" b/w "Good"

| style="text-align:center;"|Cameo 335

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| rowspan="14"|Non-album tracks

|"To Know Him Is to Love Him" b/w "There Ain't Nothin' I Wouldn't Do for You"

| style="text-align:center;"|Cameo 347

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| rowspan="2"| 1965

|"Let's Twine" b/w "(That's What) My Mama Said"

| style="text-align:center;"|Cameo 357

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"I Really Love You" b/w "Standing in the Need of Love"

| style="text-align:center;"|Cameo 375

| style="text-align:center;"| 78

| style="text-align:center;"| 37

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 28

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| rowspan="3"|1966

|"(It's Wonderful) The Love I Feel for You" b/w "Willyam, Willyam"

| style="text-align:center;"|Fairmount 1004

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"It's a Funny Situation" b/w "There Ain't Nothin' I Wouldn't Do for You"

| style="text-align:center;"|Cameo 382

| style="text-align:center;"| 126

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"My Best Friend's Man" b/w "Bye Bye Baby"

| style="text-align:center;"|Atco 6445

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| 1967

|"What Am I Gonna Do" b/w "(Heart and Soul) Baby I Love You"

| style="text-align:center;"|Atco 6502

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| rowspan="4"|1968

|"We Got a Thing Going On" b/w "What 'Cha Gonna Do About It" Both tracks: Ben E. King & Dee Dee Sharp

| style="text-align:center;"|Atco 6557

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"A Woman Will Do Wrong" b/w "You're Just a Fool in Love"

| style="text-align:center;"|Atco 6576

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"Help Me Find My Groove" b/w "This Love Won't Run Out"

| style="text-align:center;"|Atco 6587

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"What Kind of Lady" b/w "You're Gonna Miss Me (When I'm Gone)"

| style="text-align:center;"|Gamble 219

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|1970

|"The Bottle or Me" b/w "You're Gonna Miss Me (When I'm Gone)"

| style="text-align:center;"|Gamble 4005

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|1971

|"Conquer the World" b/w "We Got a Thing Going On" Both sides: Dee Dee Sharp Gamble with Bunny Sigler

| style="text-align:center;"|Philadelphia International 3512

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| 1974

|"Happy 'Bout the Whole Thing" b/w "Touch My Life"

| style="text-align:center;"|TSOP 4776

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| rowspan="3"|Happy 'Bout the Whole Thing

| 1975

|"Share My Love"

| style="text-align:center;"|Album cut

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 6

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| 1976

|"I'm Not in Love" b/w "Make It Till Tomorrow"

| style="text-align:center;"|TSOP 4778

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 62

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| rowspan="2"|1977

|"Nobody Could Take Your Place" b/w "Flashback"

| style="text-align:center;"|Philadelphia International 3625

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| rowspan="4"|What Color Is Love

|"I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" b/w "What Color Is Love"

| style="text-align:center;"|Philadelphia International 3636

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| rowspan="2"|1978

|"Just as Long as I Know You're Mine" b/w "I Believe in Love"

| style="text-align:center;"|Philadelphia International 3638

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"I Wanna Be Your Woman" b/w "Trying to Get the Feeling Again"

| style="text-align:center;"|Philadelphia International 3644

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| rowspan="3"| 1981

|"Easy Money" b/w "I Love You Anyway"

| style="text-align:center;"|Philadelphia International 70058

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| rowspan="3"|Dee Dee

|"Breaking and Entering"

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"|Philadelphia International 02041

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 1

| style="text-align:center;"| —

|"I Love You Anyway"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 79

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| colspan="9" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

References

External links

Official website

Life and career

Early life and education

Career

Discography

Studio albums

See also

References

External links