33:
360:, and they had a hit in the country with "El Vals de las Mariposas". She also recorded solo, and her most successful record, "This World Today Is A Mess" ("Este Mundo es un Conflicto"), which she co-wrote, was an international hit — though not in the US, where it was not released, or in the UK — in 1972, reportedly selling 130,000 copies in Germany, 800,000 in France and over one million copies worldwide. Hightower is also known for the song "If You Hold My Hand", which was later
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and others. While none of her records made the pop or R&B charts, she received good reviews, and her discs did perform well in Decca Record's own sales guides, with her "I Ain't In The Mood" ranking at No. 1 on their Sepia
384:. She was a member of Calvary Baptist Church, and appeared on local radio programs. Her last performance in Spain was at a jazz festival in 2006. Hightower died in Austin in 2013 at the age of 86.
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Singer/Songwriter Donna
Hightower, whose 1972 recording of “This World Today is a Mess” made her an international pop star
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released a remixed version of
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newspaper, who then won her a booking as a singer at the Strand Hotel. Initially billed as
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Orchestra, as on her 1955 version of "Hands Off". She toured widely in the US, with
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By 1958, Hightower's career had slowed down, and she began working for a
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862:"Sonny J : Handsfree (If You Hold My Hand) : Out 9th June!"
463:"El Valz de las Mariposas" (Waltz of the Butterflies) (single - 1971)
286:, and as a result of his interest she was signed to Capitol Records.
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International Song
Festival, following which she began recording in
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of new songs. Her version of "Light of Love" — later recorded by
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621:. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. November 17, 1951. pp. 17–.
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singer and songwriter, who recorded and released albums for the
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and recorded her first single, "I Ain't In The Mood", in 1951.
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Researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc give her birth name as
597:. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. October 27, 1951. p. 42.
380:, in 1990. Hightower was active in the Austin Chapter of the
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704:. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. March 27, 1971. p. 55.
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During the mid 1950s, Hightower recorded R&B songs for
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170:(December 28, 1926 – August 19, 2013) was an American
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She returned to the US to live in semi-retirement in
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Hightower recorded two albums for
Capitol, including
646:"Singer/songwriter Donna Hightower dies in Austin"
542:. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 207.
581:. TypicallySpanish.com. Retrieved August 22, 2013
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317:and elsewhere in Europe, later performing with
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687:Artist biography by Ron Wynn at Allmusic.com
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920:20th-century African-American women singers
364:for the UK 2007 hit single "Handsfree" by
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821:RIP jazz singer Donna Hightower 1926–2013
677:. Allmusic.com. Retrieved August 22, 2013
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724:"Metronome Scores On Children's Records"
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538:Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013).
460:"If You Hold My Hand" (single - 1971)
410:"I Ain't In The Mood" (single - 1951)
960:People from Caruthersville, Missouri
798:Ron Slomowicz (September 15, 2008).
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980:Jazz musicians from Missouri
201:Donna Hightower was born in
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935:American women jazz singers
831:. Retrieved August 23, 2013
735:. June 29, 1974. p. 67
689:. Retrieved August 22, 2013
449:"Soy Feliz" (single - 1970)
238:, often accompanied by the
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761:. May 25, 1974. p. 57
16:American singer-songwriter
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81:Caruthersville, Missouri
53:Donna Lubertha Hightower
970:Capitol Records artists
37:Donna Hightower in 1964
800:Interview with Sonny J
333:. In 1971 she won the
225:Little Donna Hightower
63:Little Donna Hightower
43:Background information
990:Decca Records artists
950:American soul singers
940:American jazz singers
891:at Wikimedia Commons
785:July 1, 2023, at the
780:"If You Hold My Hand"
476:I'm In Love with Love
276:demonstration records
489:Mastervision Records
819:Michael Corcoran,
656:on August 24, 2013
126:Singer, songwriter
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372:Return from exile
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132:Years active
93:(2013-08-19)
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975:1926 births
955:2013 deaths
809:. About.com
675:Discography
497:(LP - 1985)
495:Prima Donna
484:(LP - 1975)
478:(LP - 1974)
472:(LP - 1973)
439:(LP - 1959)
433:(LP - 1958)
415:RPM Records
400:Discography
256:Della Reese
236:RPM Records
914:Categories
660:August 21,
526:References
356:as a duo,
263:) charts.
74:1926-12-28
49:Birth name
842:"Sonny J"
765:March 20,
759:Billboard
739:March 20,
732:Billboard
710:0006-2510
701:Billboard
627:0006-2510
618:Billboard
603:0006-2510
594:Billboard
470:Here I Am
392:In 2008,
291:Take One!
280:Peggy Lee
248:B.B. King
197:Biography
136:1951–2013
825:Archived
803:Archived
783:Archived
575:Archived
431:Take One
270:firm in
157:Columbia
867:YouTube
850:. 2008.
847:Discogs
394:Sonny J
366:Sonny J
362:sampled
307:England
215:Chicago
188:Capitol
172:R&B
153:Capitol
109:R&B
708:
625:
601:
546:
388:Legacy
331:Madrid
315:Sweden
311:France
191:labels
141:Labels
105:Genres
727:(PDF)
502:Notes
339:Spain
184:Decca
145:Decca
900:IMDb
767:2023
741:2023
706:ISSN
662:2013
623:ISSN
599:ISSN
544:ISBN
341:for
325:and
293:and
261:race
186:and
180:jazz
178:and
176:soul
117:jazz
113:soul
88:Died
68:Born
898:at
149:RPM
916::
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635:^
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
