Esther Phillips
Esther Phillips (born Esther Mae Washington; December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer, best known for her R&B vocals. She rose to prominence in 1950, scoring several major R&B hits including "Double Crossing Blues" and "Mistrustin' Blues" under the moniker "Little Esther." In the 1960s, she achieved chart success with the country song "Release Me" and recorded in the pop, jazz, blues and soul genres. Phillips received four Grammy nominations, including for her album From a Whisper to a Scream in 1973, as well as for the album that featured her disco recording of "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes," which was a major hit in 1975. She died from liver and kidney failure due to long-term drug abuse in 1984. |
Birth and Death Data: Born December 23, 1935 (Galveston (city in and county seat of Galveston County, Texas, United States; port and coastal city)), Died August 7, 1984 (Carson (city in Los Angeles County, California, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1953
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decca | 84871 | 7/15/1953 | If you want me | Esther Phillips | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 84872 | 7/15/1953 | Talkin' all out my head | Esther Phillips | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 84873 | 7/15/1953 | Sit down back | Esther Phillips | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 84874 | 7/15/1953 | He's a no good man | Esther Phillips | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 85277 | 9/29/1953 | Stop cryin' | Esther Phillips | vocalist | |||
| Decca | 85278 | 9/29/1953 | Please don't send me | Esther Phillips | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Phillips, Esther," accessed December 25, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/337554.
Phillips, Esther. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/337554.
"Phillips, Esther." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 25 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Esther Phillips
Discogs: Esther Phillips
Allmusic: Esther Phillips
Apple Music: Esther Phillips
Grove: Esther Phillips
IMDb: Esther Phillips
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Phillips, Esther, 1935-1984 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n87119318
Wikidata: Esther Phillips - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q283069
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/46947367
MusicBrainz: Esther Phillips - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/e261c42a-cbd7-4b97-8b72-218801bdc5b9
ISNI: 0000 0000 7365 7506 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000073657506
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/205074 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/205074
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