Dr. Mable John was born in Bastrop, Louisiana but made her fame in Detroit. Her musical greatness will be honored Saturday, August 19 with a marker on the Northeast Louisiana Music Trail. The monument will be placed on the Morehouse Parish Courthouse Square. The day will also feature a number of groups performing her music from 11:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Mable John was an American soul and blues singer who was born on November 3, 1930, in Bastrop, Louisiana. Her father worked at the Bastrop paper mill. Her brother Little Willie John was a made a star with his hit Fever. The family later moved to south Arkansas.
Her career took her to Motown and she was the first female artist signed to Motown Records. Mable's singing career began in the 1950s, and she released several hit songs, including Your Good Thing (Is About to End and Who Wouldn't Love a Man Like That.
In 1966, she left Motown Records and joined Stax Records, where she recorded her most successful album, "Stay Out of the Kitchen." She was a member of Ray Charles's Raelettes. John continued to perform and record music throughout her life, and she was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009.
She passed away on January 28, 2021, at the age of 91. Mable John was a trailblazer in the music industry, and her contributions to soul and blues music will always be remembered.
The Northeast Louisiana Music Trail was founded by Enoch's former owner Doyle Jeter. The event is co-sponsored by 90.30 KEDM Public Radio.
