Denise LaSalle

Unlike many blues vocalists who simply reinterpret material given to them by composers, Denise LaSalle was a seriously talented songwriter. She wrote funny songs full of sassy attitude, which she carried with her on-stage. Raised in Mississippi, she started singing in local churches. After moving to Chicago in her early twenties, LaSalle gave songs to blues musicians and recorded a couple sides for Chess, but she didn't really break through until 1971, when her song "Trapped by a Thing Called Love" became a number one hit on the soul chart. She recorded three LPs during the early '70s, then moved to Malaco after an executive asked her to write a song for Z.Z. Hill. The relationship resulted in 11 albums for the label, including the standouts A Lady in the Street (1983), Right Place, Right Time (1984), and Still Trapped (1990). LaSalle also released excellent gospel crossover material.