by Rita Coolidge with Michael Walker
Harper BooksHardcover
The first time I remember hearing of Rita Coolidge was when I heard her song, " (Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher " on the radio. It wasn't long before I owned the 45 and discovered the flip-side single was "Who's to Bless and Who's to Blame," written by Kris Kristofferson, who I had heard of before.
The next piece of information that came to light was that Kristofferson and Coolidge were married. I was learning musical trivia at a dizzying pace.
The 45 in question was one of what became a collection of over a hundred vinyl singles I owned.
I had no idea of Ms. Coolidge's already productive history in the music business and pretty much lost track of her after this song. This wasn't unusual for a boy my age busily gathering his favorite pop songs in the affordable 45 rpm format.
Fast forward a few decades and I recently finished DELTA WOMAN, Rita Coolidge's new memoir, written with Michael Walker. Never a one-trick pony, Rita Coolidge's beauty was the inspiration for at least three popular songs and co-wrote many others. She was a backup singer for such superstars as Stephen Stills, Eric Clapton and Joe Cocker ( part of the infamous 1970 Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour ), and the aforementioned solo career.
I refuse to spoil the fun, but she also reveals the previously unknown provenance of one of the most famous codas in rock and roll history.
Married to Kristofferson for six years, their union was a rock and roll fairy tale until it wasn't. Filled with many insider tidbits, this book is a quick read and should be grabbed by music fans of the 70s, both rock and country. I enjoyed Delta Lady very much.
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I received an advance reader copy of this book from Harper Books, for my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. -- BookDude
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