14 Facts About Fontella Bass

Fontella Bass wanted to go on tour with Claxton but her mother refused and according to Bass "she literally dragged me off the train".

Fontella Bass was produced by Ike Turner when she recorded on his labels Prann and Sonja.

Fontella Bass auditioned for Chess Records, who immediately signed her as a recording artist to the subsidiary label Checker Records.

Fontella Bass followed with "Recovery," which did moderately well, peaking at number 13 and number 37 in early 1966.

Fontella Bass claimed that, although the credited co-writers Carl Smith and Raynard Miner, and record producer Billy Davis, had assured her that her contribution to co-writing the lyrics of "Rescue Me" would be acknowledged, this was never done.

Fontella Bass demanded a better royalty rate and artistic control; she approached her then manager Billy Davis about securing her writing credit on the song but was told not to worry about it.

Fontella Bass appeared on Bowie's The Great Pretender and All the Magic.

In 1993 Fontella Bass sued American Express and she gained significant settlement.

Fontella Bass returned occasionally, being featured as a background vocalist on several recordings, including those by Bowie.

Fontella Bass has stated that she was at a low point in her life when on New Year's Day 1990 she was astonished to hear her own voice singing "Rescue Me" on the American Express television ad.

Fontella Bass sang on the NBC TV show Night Music in 1989 episode number 116.

Fontella Bass was featured on the PBS Special and accompanying DVD, Soul Celebration.

In May 2000, Fontella Bass received a star on the St Louis Walk of Fame.

Fontella Bass survived breast cancer, a series of strokes beginning in 2005, and a leg amputation.