Quick Facts
Biography
Damita Jo DeBlanc (August 5, 1930 – December 25, 1998), a.k.a. Damita Jo, was an American actress, comedian, and lounge music performer. DeBlanc was born in Austin, Texas, the featured vocalist on recordings from Steve Gibson and the Red Caps during the 1950s. She later went on to marry Gibson, but they parted ways professionally and personally in 1959.
Credited as simply Damita Jo, DeBlanc had some chart success in the early 1960s with two answer songs: 1960's "I'll Save the Last Dance for You" (an answer to "Save the Last Dance for Me") and 1961's "I'll Be There" (an answer to "Stand By Me"). Both songs were originally sung by Ben E. King (the former with the Drifters) and made the R&B top 20, and "I'll Be There" also reached number 12 on the pop chart. In 1962 she recorded "Dance With a Dolly (With a Hole in her Stocking)", previously made famous by the Andrews Sisters and Bill Haley, for Mercury Records. In 1966 she had a minor hit with a cover of the Jacques Brel song "If You Go Away." Outside the United States Damita Jo was very successful in Sweden, where "I'll Save the Last Dance for You" peaked at number 2 (March 1961), "Do what you want" at number 5 (July 1961) and "Dance With a Dolly (With a Hole in her Stocking" at number 3 (January 1962).
She worked with Ray Charles, Count Basie, and Lionel Hampton. And, in 1963, she released a recording for Mercury Records with Billy Eckstine and the Bobby Tucker Orchestra.
Damita Jo was later involved in comedy and toured with Redd Foxx. In 1998, she suffered a respiratory illness and died on Christmas Day in Baltimore, Maryland.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | The Big Fifteen | ABC-Paramount 378 (M) / S-378 (S) |
| 1961 | I'll Save the Last Dance for You | Mercury 20642 (M) / 60642 (S) |
| 1962 | Damita Jo at the Diplomat | Mercury 20703 (M) / 60703 (S) |
| 1962 | Sing a Country Song | Mercury 20734 (M) / 60734 (S) |
| 1965 | This Is Damita Jo | Epic LN 24131 (M) / BN 26131 (S) |
| 1965 | Go Go with Damita Jo | RCA Camden CAL-900 (M) / CAS-900 (S) |
| 1965 | Damita Jo Sings | Vee-Jay LP-1137(M) / LPS-1137 (S) |
| 1966 | Midnight Session | Epic LN 24202(M) / BN 26202 (S) |
| 1967 | If You Go Away | Epic LN 24244(M) / BN 26244 (S) |
| 1968 | Miss Damita Jo | Ranwood 8037 |
Singles
| Year | "A" Side | "B" Side | US Pop | US CB Pop | US R&B | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | "I'd Do It Again" | "I Don't Care" | -- | -- | -- | RCA Victor – 47-5022 |
| 1953 | "Missing (One Heart)" | "The Widow Walk" | -- | -- | -- | RCA Victor 47-5253 |
| 1960 | "I'll Save The Last Dance For You" | "Forgive" | 22 | 17 | 16 | Mercury 71690 |
| 1961 | "Keep Your Hands Off Of Him" | "Hush, Somebody's Calling My Name" | 75 | 74 | -- | Mercury 71760 |
| "Do What You Want" | "Sweet Georgia Brown" | -- | 114 | -- | Mercury 71793 | |
| "I'll Be There" | "Love Laid Its Hands On Me" | 12 | 30 | 15 | Mercury 71840 | |
| "Dance With a Dolly (With a Hole in Her Stocking)" | "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You" | 105 | 123 | -- | Mercury 71871 | |
| 1962 | "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You" (Part 1) | (Part 2) | -- | -- | -- | Mercury 71944 |
| "Tennessee Waltz" | "The Window Up Above" | -- | 128 | -- | Mercury 72019 | |
| 1963 | "Stop Foolin'" (with Brook Benton) | 108 | 87 | -- | Mercury 72207 | |
| "Baby, You've Got It Made" (with Brook Benton) | 111 | 133 | -- | |||
| 1965 | "Silver Dollar" | -- | 104 | -- | Epic 9766 | |
| "Tomorrow Night" | -- | 88 | -- | |||
| 1966 | "If You Go Away" | "When The Fog Rolls in To San Francisco" | 62 | 77 | -- | Epic 10061 |
Filmography
- 2009 Damita Jo: The Lady is a Tramp (Arkadia Jazz DVD)