'California Soul' singer Marlena Shaw passes away at 81
Jan 21, 2024
Washington DC [US], January 21 : Celebrated soul and jazz vocalist Marlena Shaw, known for her hits 'California Soul' and 'Woman of the Ghetto', passed away at the age of 81.
Shaw's daughter, Marla Bradshaw, shared the news Friday in a video posted on Facebook. A cause of death was not revealed, Variety, a US-based media outlet reported.
"It's with a very heavy heart for myself and my family I announce that our beloved mother, your beloved icon and artist Marlena Shaw has passed away today at 12:03," Bradshaw said in the video, adding, "She was peaceful. We were at peace."
"She went listening to some of her favorite songs," Bradshaw added.
Shaw was born Marlina Burgess on September 22, 1942, in New Rochelle, New York. She began her music career in the 1960s by singing in jazz clubs, and continued to perform live into the 2000s. She released 17 albums in total with eight different record labels, as per Variety.
Upon her dealth, Verve Records, who worked with Shaw in 1987, shared a statement on Facebook, writing, "We are saddened by the passing of Marlena Shaw, a wonderful singer whose 'California Soul' is as popular today as it ever was and whose album 'It Is Love: Recorded Live At Vine St.' helped relaunch the Verve label in 1987."
Shaw rose to prominence after signing with Chess Records in 1966. She released two albums with the music label's subsidiary Cadet Records: 1967's 'Out of Different Bags' and 1969's 'The Spice of Life,' which featured the popular tracks 'California Soul' and 'Woman of the Ghetto.' 'California Soul,' which was written by Ashford & Simpson, was heavily sampled by other artists and appeared in multiple TV commercials, reported Variety.
