'California Soul' Singer Marlena Shaw Dead at 81
Marlena Shaw 'California Soul' Singer Dead At 81
Marlena Shaw -- best known for her song "California Soul" -- has died ... according to her daughter.
The legendary jazz and R&B singer passed away Friday afternoon Marlena's daughter Marla said in a video she posted to Facebook. She did not give a cause of death.
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MS' most famous track is "California Soul" -- a song originally performed by The Messengers, but one she covered and made famous ... that's had a lasting impact on hip hop and popular culture at large.
A few of the hit properties that featured the songs ... "The Italian Job," "The Lincoln Lawyer," "All Things Must Pass," "Pixie," the TV series "Bad Sisters" and video game "Grand Theft Auto V."
It's also taken on a second life in the world of hip hop sampling ... Gang Starr, The Game and Jay Rock, Elzhi, Quasimoto, Jay Electronica, Laika and Xzhibit are just a few of the stars who've sampled the song in one form or another.
"California Soul" is her most enduring classic, but Shaw had a number of other hits too including "Feel Like Making Love," "Loving You Was Like A Party," "Go Away Little Boy" and "Is You or Is You Ain't My Baby" -- another song she covered that bagged her a Grammy nod back in 1990.
Marlena was 81.
RIP
