Fontella Bass

Fontella Bass
Bass in 1965
Background information
Born
Fontella Marie Bass

(1940-07-03)July 3, 1940
DiedDecember 26, 2012(2012-12-26) (aged 72)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
Years active1961–2012
Labels
ParentMartha Bass (mother)
RelativesDavid Peaston (brother)
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox musical artist with deprecated parameter "associated_acts". It should be removed.

Fontella Marie Bass (/bæs/; July 3, 1940 – December 26, 2012) was an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter best known for her number-one R&B hit "Rescue Me" in 1965. She also collaborated with artists like the Art Ensemble of Chicago, The Cinematic Orchestra, and her husband, jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie. Bass received two Grammy nominations and was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame.