Robinson JessieMae

African-American musician and songwriter, whose compositions included many R&B and pop hits of the 1940s and 1950s, including "Black Night" (Charles Browns number one hit in 1951), "I Went To Your Wedding" (recorded by Damita Jo in 1952 and then covered more successfully by both white pop singer Patti Page, whose version went to number one on the pop chart, and country star Hank Snow), and "Lets Have a Party" (first recorded by Elvis Presley in 1957 and later by Wanda Jackson). The success of "I Went To Your Wedding" allowed Robinson to become "one of the few black songwriters to break the colour barrier", and the first female African-American member of ASCAP. Jessie Mae Booker was raised in Los Angeles where she started writing songs in her teens, and met and married Leonard Robinson. After a few years she began pitching her songs to performers and music publishers. Her first song to be recorded was "Mellow Man Blues" by Dinah Washington in 1945. She found commercial success with Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinsons "Cleanhead Blues" in 1946 and then "Old Maid Boogie", an R&B chart number one in 1947. Robinson died at home in Los Angeles after a short illness on 26 October 1966, aged 48. Link to Wikipedia biography Read less