finetune artist: Damita Jo

b. Damita Jo DuBlanc, 5 August 1930, Austin, Texas, USA, d. 25 December 1998, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Raised in Santa Barbara, California, Damita Jo took an interest in singing while still at school. As early as 1949, she was attracting attention, owing in part to Los Angeles disc jockey Joe Adams, who helped her secure club dates and recording sessions. This was for Discovery Records for whom she made R&B sides in 1950. Released in the autumn, "Until The Real Thing Comes Along" and "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" were moderately successful. In the summer of that year, she had played the Oasis Club and the Orpheum Theater with Count Basie's sextet and Sugar Chile Robinson. When Discovery folded, Damita Jo made other sides for an obscure label, but in the meantime had joined Steve Gibson And The Red Caps. She had two spells with Gibson, from 1951-53 and 1959-60, and was married to him for a while. She had hits with "I'll Save The Last Dance For You", which sold a million copies in the USA, and "I'll Be There", which reached number 12 in the pop charts and number 15 in the R&B rankings. Her recordings during this period were irregular and, despite signing with Columbia Records, she never really capitalized on those early successes. There was to be another hit single in 1964, when she duetted with Billy Eckstine on "Love's A Ball", which reached number 1 on the Australian charts.

Listen to Damita Jo at Finetune.

(2005) I'll Save The Last Dance For You

Dance With A Dolly (With A Hole In Her Stocking)
I Had Someone Else Before I Had You
I'll Save The Last Dance For You
Ballerina
Dance With Me Henry (Wallflower)

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