Rita Coolidge (born May 1, 1945) is an American recording artist. During the 1970s and 1980s, her songs were on '' Billboard'' magazine's pop,

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

, and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

charts, and she won two

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

s with fellow musician and then-husband

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are " Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", " Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and " Help Me Make It Through the ...

. Her recordings include " (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," "

We're All Alone "We're All Alone" is a song written by Boz Scaggs, which became a hit for Frankie Valli in 1976. The next year it was a top-ten hit for Rita Coolidge in the US and the UK. Scaggs introduced it on his 1976 album ''Silk Degrees'', and included ...

", "

I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love "I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love" is a song co-written by Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager, popularized by Rita Coolidge in 1979, and recorded by a number of other artists. Charts Rita Coolidge recording "I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love" ...

", and the theme song for the 1983

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

film ''

Octopussy ''Octopussy'' is a 1983 spy film and the thirteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. It is the sixth to star Roger Moore as the MI6 agent James Bond. It was directed by John Glen and the screenplay was written by G ...

'': "

All Time High "All Time High" is a song by American singer-songwriter Rita Coolidge that serves as the theme song to the James Bond film ''Octopussy'' (1983). Written by John Barry and Tim Rice and produced by Stephen Short and Phil Ramone, the song was rele ...

Life and career

Early life

Coolidge was born in

Lafayette, Tennessee Lafayette is a city in Macon County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,474 at the 2010 census, and had 5,584 in 2020.U.S. Census ...

. She is the daughter of Dick and Charlotte Coolidge, a minister and schoolteacher, with sisters Linda and

Priscilla Priscilla is an English female given name adopted from Latin ''Prisca'', derived from ''priscus''. One suggestion is that it is intended to bestow long life on the bearer. The name first appears in the New Testament of Christianity variously as ...

, and brother Raymond. She is of

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

and

Scottish ancestry The Scots ( sco, Scots Fowk; gd, Albannaich) are an ethnic group and nation native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged in the early Middle Ages from an amalgamation of two Celtic-speaking peoples, the Picts and Gaels, who founded ...

. She attended Nashville's Maplewood High School and graduated from Andrew Jackson Senior High School in

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

. Coolidge is a graduate of

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...

. She is a member of

Alpha Gamma Delta Alpha Gamma Delta (), also known as Alpha Gam, is an international women's fraternity and social organization. It was founded on May 30, 1904, by eleven female students at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, making it the youngest member ...

sorority.

Early career

After singing around

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

(including a stint singing

jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually t ...

s), Coolidge was discovered by

Delaney & Bonnie Delaney & Bonnie were an American duo of singer-songwriters Delaney Bramlett and Bonnie Bramlett. In 1969 and 1970, they fronted a rock/soul ensemble, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, whose members at different times included Duane Allman, Gregg ...

, who worked with her in Los Angeles. There, she became a backing singer for artists including Leon Russell,

Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...

Harry Chapin Harold Forster Chapin (; December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter, philanthropist, and hunger activist best known for his folk rock and pop rock songs. He achieved worldwide success in the 1970s. Chapin, a Grammy A ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

Dave Mason David Thomas Mason (born 10 May 1946) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic. Over the course of his career, Mason has played and recorded with many notable pop and rock mu ...

Graham Nash Graham William Nash (born 2 February 1942) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, photographer, and activist. He is known for his light tenor voice and for his contributions as a member of the Hollies and the supergroups Crosby, Stills ...

, and Stephen Stills. She was featured in Joe Cocker's '' Mad Dogs and Englishmen'' tour and album, singing Russell's and

Bonnie Bramlett Bonnie Bramlett (born Bonnie Lynn O'Farrell, November 8, 1944) is an American singer and occasional actress known for performing with her husband, Delaney Bramlett, as Delaney & Bonnie. She continues to sing as a solo artist. Life and career ...

's song "

Superstar A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based profe ...

". Coolidge did not receive songwriting credits for "Superstar" which later became a hit for

The Carpenters The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter, Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct ...

. She became known as "The Delta Lady" and inspired Russell to write a song of the same name for her.

"Layla"

Coolidge didn't receive songwriting credits for the coda in the 1971 single "

Layla "Layla" is a song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, originally recorded by Derek and the Dominos, as the thirteenth track from their only studio album, ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'' (1970). Its contrasting movements were compos ...

" by

's band

Derek and the Dominos Derek and the Dominos was an English–American blues rock band formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton, keyboardist and singer Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon. All four members had previou ...

. In 2016, Coolidge stated that she recorded a demo with her boyfriend, the band's drummer Jim Gordon, before they went to England to record with Clapton. Once they met with Clapton, Coolidge played the piece she composed for him and she gave him a cassette. Clapton, impressed by the piece, used it as part of the song in the coda section which she found out by hearing the song over the

PA system A public address system (or PA system) is an electronic system comprising microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and related equipment. It increases the apparent volume (loudness) of a human voice, musical instrument, or other acoustic sound sou ...

a year later. She tried to contact Clapton, but was told by his manager

Robert Stigwood Robert Colin Stigwood (16 April 1934 – 4 January 2016) was an Australian-born British-resident music entrepreneur, film producer and impresario, best known for managing Cream (band), Cream, Andy Gibb and the Bee Gees, theatrical productions ...

, "What are you gonna do? You’re a girl. You don't have money to fight this." She hasn't heard from Clapton himself but believes he is aware of the situation. Though only Gordon has been officially credited with this part, the band's keyboardist

Bobby Whitlock Robert Stanley Whitlock (born March 18, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as a member of the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos, with Eric Clapton, in 1970–71. Whitlock's musical career began with Memp ...

claimed:

Jim took that piano melody from his ex-girlfriend, Rita Coolidge. I know because in the
Delaney & Bonnie Delaney & Bonnie were an American duo of singer-songwriters Delaney Bramlett and Bonnie Bramlett. In 1969 and 1970, they fronted a rock/soul ensemble, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, whose members at different times included Duane Allman, Gregg ...
days, I lived in John Garfield's old house in the
Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Geography The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains. The neighborhood touches Studio City, Univer ...
and there was a guest house with an upright piano in it. Rita and Jim were up there in the guest house and invited me to join in on writing this song with them called "Time". Her sister Priscilla wound up recording it with her husband, Booker T. Jones (of Booker T. & the M.G.'s). Jim took the melody from Rita's song and didn't give her credit for writing it. Her boyfriend ripped her off.

"Time" ended up on the 1973 album ''Chronicles'' by Booker T. and Priscilla.

Kris Kristofferson

In November 1970, she met

at the Los Angeles airport when they were both catching the same flight to

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

. Instead of continuing to his intended destination in

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

, he got off in Memphis with her. The two married in 1973, had a child in 1974, and recorded several duet albums, which sold well and earned the duo a

Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal The Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded from 1970 to 2011. The award has had several minor name changes: * In 1970 the award was known as Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group * From 1971 to 19 ...

in 1974 for "From the Bottle to the Bottom", and in 1976 for " Lover Please". Coolidge's greatest success on the pop charts came during 1977–1978 with four consecutive top 25 hits, remakes of Jackie Wilson's " (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher", Boz Scaggs' "

the Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

' "

The Way You Do The Things You Do "The Way You Do the Things You Do" is a 1964 hit single by the Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. Written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers, the single was the Temptations' first charting single on the ''Billboard'' Ho ...

", and

Marcia Hines Marcia Elaine Hines, AM (born July 20, 1953), is an American-Australian vocalist and TV personality. Hines made her debut, at the age of 16, in the Australian production of the stage musical '' Hair'' and followed with the role of Mary Magdale ...

' "

You In Modern English, ''you'' is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from the Proto- ...

". Coolidge and Kristofferson divorced in June 1980.

Later career

In 1992, Coolidge sang joint lead vocals with Roger Waters on the title track of his album ''

Amused to Death ''Amused to Death'' is the third studio album by English musician Roger Waters, released 7 September 1992 on Columbia. Produced by Waters and Patrick Leonard, it is mixed in QSound to enhance its spatial feel. The album features Jeff Beck o ...

''. She also was among the first hosts on VH1, a U.S. cable network. In 2006, she recorded a standards album, ''And So Is Love''.

Walela

In 1997, Coolidge was one of the founding members of

Walela Walela is a trio of singers, named for the Cherokee word for ''hummingbird.'' The group was founded in 1996 by sisters Rita Coolidge and Priscilla Coolidge, with Priscilla's daughter Laura Satterfield as the third member. Although the band name is ...

, a Native American music trio, that also included her sister Priscilla and her daughter Laura Satterfield. The trio released studio albums in 1997 (''Walela'') and 2000 (''Unbearable Love''), a live album and DVD (''Live in Concert'') in 2004 and a compilation album (''The Best of Walela'') in 2007. Walela means

hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics aro ...

. Coolidge considered this group important, not only in honoring her Cherokee ancestors but also in bringing their culture to others. The trio performed at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

in Atlanta.

Books

Her autobiography, ''Delta Lady: A Memoir'', was published in April 2016.

Personal life

Rita Coolidge and Kris Kristofferson after the premiere of the movie A STAR IS BORN

Relationships

Coolidge had romantic liaisons with Stephen Stills and

. Coolidge leaving Stills for Nash has been cited as a contributing factor behind the initial 1970 breakup of

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) were a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young as a fourth member ...

. She was the "sweet little Indian girl" named "Raven" in the song "Cowboy Movie" on

David Crosby David Van Cortlandt Crosby (born August 14, 1941) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Crosby joined the Byrds in 1964. They got ...

's album ''

If I Could Only Remember My Name ''If I Could Only Remember My Name'' is the debut solo album by American singer-songwriter David Crosby, released in February 1971 on Atlantic Records. Guests on the album include Jerry Garcia, Graham Nash, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and other p ...

''. Coolidge was also involved with Leon Russell and

. During the '' Mad Dogs & Englishmen'' tour, Coolidge's boyfriend at the time, Jim Gordon, assaulted her, resulting in a black eye for the rest of the tour. Coolidge ended the relationship and never spoke to him again. Gordon was later diagnosed with

schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...

and convicted of murdering his mother. Coolidge was married to

from 1973 to 1980. Their daughter and her only child, Casey Kristofferson (also a musician), was born in 1974. Their marriage deteriorated after she miscarried her second child in 1977. In her memoir, ''Delta Lady'', Coolidge described her marriage to Kristofferson as volatile due to his alcoholism and infidelity. She revealed he was also

emotionally abusive Psychological abuse, often called emotional abuse, is a form of abuse characterized by a person subjecting or exposing another person to a behavior that may result in psychological trauma, including anxiety, chronic depression, or post-traumat ...

and would belittle her talent. When they divorced she did not ask him for anything. However, in 2016 Coolidge told ''

People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...

'' that she and Kristofferson still shared a bond. Coolidge married Tatsuya Suda, a world leader in

computer architecture In computer engineering, computer architecture is a description of the structure of a computer system made from component parts. It can sometimes be a high-level description that ignores details of the implementation. At a more detailed level, t ...

research, on June 19, 2004, in the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

. Suda, a Japanese citizen, retired in 2010 after a long tenure as a professor at the

Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences The Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, also known colloquially as UCI's School of ICS or simply the Bren School, is an academic unit of University of California, Irvine (UCI), and the only dedicated school of computer scienc ...

(

UC Irvine UC may refer to: Arts and entertainment * '' University Challenge'', a popular British quiz programme airing on BBC Two ** ''University Challenge (New Zealand)'', the New Zealand version of the British programme * Universal Century, one of the t ...

), when allegations of professional misconduct against him surfaced. In 2014, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of receiving illegal payments. She divorced Suda in 2012. Coolidge had lived in

Fallbrook, California Fallbrook is a CDP in northern San Diego County, California. Fallbrook had a population of 30,534 at the 2010 census, up from 29,100 at the 2000 census. Fallbrook's downtown is not on a major highway route. It is west of Interstate 15 or n ...

, where she painted and exhibited her work until 2017. In 2017 Coolidge rekindled a romantic relationship with Joe Hutto, a former college boyfriend. They married in 2018 and moved back to Tallahassee.

Family

In October, 2014, Coolidge's sister, Priscilla, was murdered by her husband, Michael Siebert, in a murder-suicide. The pain of that loss was exacerbated when Siebert's ashes were delivered to Rita's home and she had to dispose of them.

Awards and nominations

Coolidge was inducted into the Southern Museum of Music Hall of Fame in 2015.

Grammy Awards

Coolidge has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, and has won two. , - , 1974 , "From The Bottle To The Bottom" , Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group , , - , 1975 , "

Loving Arms "Loving Arms" is a song written by Tom Jans and first recorded and released by Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge as a duet in 1973 on their album ''Full Moon''. It was covered by Dobie Gray shortly after, and then by a number of artists the ...

" , Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group , , - , 1976 , " Lover Please" , Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group ,

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Singles

* ^A B-side of "Fever" * ^B Charted as a double A-side in Australia backed with "

I Don't Want to Talk About It "I Don't Want to Talk About It" is a song written by American guitarist Danny Whitten. It was first recorded by American rock band Crazy Horse and issued as the final track on side one of their 1971 eponymous album. It was Whitten's signature ...

References

External links

*
Rita Coolidge on A&M Records

Records discography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coolidge, Rita 1945 births A&M Records artists American country singer-songwriters American women country singers American people of Scottish descent American women pop singers Attic Records (Canada) artists Concord Records artists Delaney & Bonnie & Friends members Florida State University alumni Grammy Award winners Living people Monument Records artists Musicians from Jacksonville, Florida People from Lafayette, Tennessee People from Nashville, Tennessee Singer-songwriters from Tennessee Singer-songwriters from Florida People from Fallbrook, California Country musicians from Tennessee Country musicians from Florida VH1 people 21st-century American women Singer-songwriters from California Women who experienced pregnancy loss