Barbara Lynn (born January 16, 1942) – Disco Music (1976)
A beautiful, rare soul gem from the multi-talented singer/songwriter and guitarist who went to #1 R&B in 1962 with her very first single.
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The multi-talented singer/songwriter and guitarist Barbara Lynn went to #1 R&B in 1962 with her very first single, “You’ll Lose A Good Thing,” which she wrote herself.
Born Barbara Lynn Ozen in Beaumont, Texas, she learned to play piano at a young age and then taught herself to play the guitar in grade school. She started writing her own songs and winning talent shows. After high school, in the late 1950s she formed an all-female band, Bobbie Lynn and Her Idols. They played clubs around Texas with Lynn as front woman, singing and playing left-handed guitar.
After being introduced to producer Huey P. Meaux, who owned New Orleans record labels and Houston’s SugarHill Recording Studios, he produced her first single as a solo act. “You’ll Lose A Good Thing” was written by her and recorded at J&M Studio in New Orleans with a young Dr. John as one of the session musicians. Released on Jamie Records in 1962, the song went to #1 R&B and crossed over to become a top-10 Billboard pop chart hit.
The success of “You’ll Lose A Good Thing” led Lynn to open for many of the top soul and R&B stars of the 60s, including Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Jackie Wilson, Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye, Ike and Tina Turner, and James Brown.
In 1965, her song “Oh Baby (We’ve Got A Good Thing Goin’)“ (1964) was covered by the Stones on their third studio album The Rolling Stones Now! Otis Redding did a version of her 1966 song “You Left The Water Running,” and Aretha Franklin later covered “You’ll Lose A Good Thing.” She signed with Atlantic in 1967, and the label released her second solo LP Here Is Barbara Lynn the following year. Her renown as a songwriter inspired a young King Floyd to begin writing his own songs, which resulted in his classic #1 R&B hit “Groove Me.”
Lynn got married in 1970 and had three children. Her contract with Atlantic expired after they put out her final single on the label in 1973, the very funky "You Make Me So Hot" b/w "It Ain't No Good To Be Too Good.” She semi-retired from the music business during the late 70s and 80s, although she did record a few rare singles during this time period.
In 1976, her beautiful, rare soul gem “Disco Music” was released on Jetstream Records. She wrote the track, which was produced by her longtime producer Huey P. Meaux and recorded at his SugarHill Studios in Houston. Her songwriting skills were still top notch, but sadly, this gorgeous song was never widely heard.
#soul #funk #disco #BarbaraLynn
Keep up the great work, I really love these daily articles and song selections.