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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZDeSHANNON, Jackie(b 21 August 1944, Hazel KY) US singer-songwriter. She made her radio debut age eleven; to West Coast via Chicago '60. She had early success as a songwriter as tunes were covered by the Kalin Twins, Brenda Lee ('Dum Dum'), others. She performed with the Nighthawks (later became the Crusaders) and the Nomads; success as a singer with 'What The World Needs Now Is Love' '65 (no. 7), a Burt Bacharach song. The Searchers hit with her 'When You Walk In The Room', the Byrds with 'Don't Doubt Yourself Babe'. She collaborated widely with other writers such as Sharon Sheeley, Randy Newman and Jimmy Page. Her own singles 'Put A Little Love In Your Heart' and 'Love Will Find A Way' charted '69, but many years later she said that her label, Liberty, was more interested in her ability to write hits than in grooming her as a star. She collaborated with Van Morrison, singing background on his Hard Nose The Highway '73 and produced by him, but as in a brief collaboration with Ry Cooder ten years earlier, not much more resulted. More than 20 albums on several labels included country-flavoured Jackie '72 and Your Baby Is A Lady '74 on Atlantic; New Arrangement '75 included her 'Bette Davis Eyes', a no. 1 single for Kim Carnes. You Won't Forget Me and Come And Get Me on Ace UK collected her Liberty and Imperial singles. When You Walk Into The Room in 2011 on Rockbeat was her first new album in a decade, a folk-country feel on a selection of her most successful songs. |