Dusty Springfield

Dusty Springfield ranks among the most sensual and soulful voices ever to emerge from the UK. Born Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien in London in 1939, the singer and queer icon forged a legacy that includes some of the most distinctive pop hits of her era, including 1964’s sugary “I Only Want To Be With You” and 1966’s heartsick classic “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me.” Most memorable of all, though, is her 1968 smash “Son of a Preacher Man,” which combined gospel, R&B, and country influences with a vocal performance that was nimble, smoky, and full of personality. The track was an export from her album Dusty In Memphis, revered for its stylistic spread, its lush and atmospheric orchestrations, and the singer’s sensitive delivery. Springfield recorded intermittently throughout the ’70s and ’80s amid personal strife, reemerging in earnest through collaborations with the Pet Shop Boys. She passed away in 1999, five years after recording her final album.