Doris Duke

Hits Anthology Doris Duke

Doris Duke (born Doris Curry) first became known in New York City where she worked as a back-up singer at the famed Apollo Theater, and sang on local recordings sessions for various artists. She recorded some demos for Motown, although none were ever released. She recorded her first single in 1966 under her then married name, Doris Willingham on a tiny label without much success, so she continued working as a session singer, mainly in Philadelphia. In 1969 she sang backup on Nina Simones live album, A Very Rare Evening. In 1969, former Atlantic Records producer Jerry 'Swamp Dogg' Williams Jr. signed her as a solo artist, renaming her Doris Duke and recorded the album I'm A Loser at the Capricorn studio in Macon, Georgia. Although the record was only a modest success, it has since become regarded as one of the finest deep soul records of all time. The follow up sessions with Swamp Dogg again producing yielded another album, A Legend In Her Own Time and featured a similar cast of great musicians, this time from the Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama. Presented here is a compilation stringing together the best moments from both historic sessions, recorded between 1969 and 1971. All selections have been newly remastered.