Birth name: Marybelle Luraine Ellison
Born: March 17, 1931 (Philadelphia, U.S.)
Died: January 31, 1983 (aged 51)
Born Marybelle Luraine Ellison, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ellison originally sang with two gospel groups, the Ellison Singers and the Golden Chords, before moving to R&B in 1964. Her first chart entry was with a cover of Jerry Butler's "I Dig You Baby" in 1965, on Mercury Records. Ellison also recorded "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)", a song later covered to more success by Janis Joplin.
She signed with Warner Bros. Records, and in 1966 recorded the...