Baby Washington

{{Short description|American singer (born 1940)}} {{About|soul vocalist Justine Washington, better known as Baby Washington|the American educator|Justine Wilkinson Washington|the funk vocalist of a similar name|Jeanette Washington}} {{BLP sources|date=October 2007}} {{Infobox musical artist  | name = Baby Washington | image = Baby Washington 2014.jpg | caption = Washington in 2014 | image_size = | birth_name = Justine Washington | alias = Jeanette Washington | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1940|10|13}} | death_date = | birth_place = Bamberg, South Carolina, United States | genre = Soul, R&B | years_active = 1956–present | label = | past_member_of = The Hearts The Jaynetts | website = }}

'''Justine Washington''' (born October 13, 1940),<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=2630}}</ref> usually credited as '''Baby Washington''', but credited on some early records as '''Jeanette (Baby) Washington''', is an American soul music vocalist, who had 16 ''Billboard'' R&B chart entries in 15 years, most of them during the 1960s. Her biggest hit, "That's How Heartaches Are Made" in 1963, also entered the Top 40 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

==Life and career== Washington was born in Bamberg, South Carolina, United States,<ref name="LarkinGE"/> and raised in Harlem, New York.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> In 1956, she joined the vocal group the Hearts,<ref name="LarkinGE"/> and also recorded for J & S Records as a member of the Jaynetts ("I Wanted To Be Free"/"Where Are You Tonight", J&S 1765/6). She first recorded solo, as Baby Washington, in 1957, on "Everyday" (J&S 1665).<ref name=soulful>{{Cite web|url=http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/bwashington.htm|title=Baby Washington|website=Soulfulkindamusic.net|access-date=June 15, 2021}}</ref>

In 1958, she signed to Donald Shaw's Neptune Records as a solo performer, and established herself as a soul singer with two hits in 1959: "The Time" (U.S. R&B No. 22) and "The Bells" (U.S. R&B No. 20).<ref name="LarkinGE"/> She followed up with the hit "Nobody Cares" (U.S. R&B No. 17) in 1961.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> Several of her singles on the Neptune and ABC labels were credited to Jeanette (Baby) Washington, which later led to confusion with an entirely different singer known as Jeanette Washington.<ref>Baby Washington recorded several songs early in her career under the name "Jeanette Washington", which has led her to be confused with a younger funk vocalist who recorded under the same name. Early in her career, Washington also recorded a song as a member of The Jaynetts. Below are singles recorded under the name Jeanette Washington: *The Jaynetts (feat. Jeanette Washington & the Hearts): "I Wanted To Be Free" / "Where Are You Tonight" (1958 J&S, 1765/6) *Baby Washington: "The Time"/"You Never Could Be Mine" (1959, Neptune 101) *Jeanette B. Washington: "Medicine Man"/"Tears Fell" (August 1960, Neptune 120) *Jeanette (Baby) Washington: "Too Late"/"Move On" (December 1960, Neptune 121) *Jeanette (Baby) Washington (with background vocals by the De Vaurs): "Nobody Cares (About Me)"*/"Money's Funny" (March 1961, Neptune 122) *Jeanette (Baby) Washington: "Let Love Go By"/"My Time To Cry" (May 1961, ABC Paramount 10223) *Jeanette (Baby) Washington: "There You Go Again"/"Don't Cry, Foolish Heart" (September 1961, ABC Paramount 10245)</ref>

She signed with ABC Paramount in 1961, but her two releases for the label were not hits, although the self-written "Let Love Go By" later became a notable Northern soul single. Washington then moved to Juggy Murray's Sue Records in 1962, scoring her only entry on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Top 40 with "That's How Heartaches Are Made" in 1963.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> Two years later, she hit again on the U.S. R&B Top 10 with "Only Those In Love".<ref name="LarkinGE"/> Among her other Sue recordings were "I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face", co-written by Chip Taylor and Jerry Ragovoy, and "Careless Hands", penned by Billy Myles.<ref name=mlc/>

Washington revived her career in the early 1970s covering the Marvelettes' "Forever" (No. 30 R&B) as a duet with Don Gardner.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> Her solo release, "I've Got To Break Away", made number 73 on the R&B chart, after which the advent of disco led to a decline in her popularity.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> She has never experienced great crossover recognition, although Dusty Springfield once cited Washington as her all-time favorite singer,<ref name="LarkinGE"/> and recorded "That's How Heartaches Are Made" and "I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face".<ref name=mlc>[http://www.mlccruises.com/babywashington.php Biography at MLC Cruises]. Retrieved 18 January 2013</ref>

Washington is still active as a live performer, appearing several times a year on the East Coast and performing on cruise ships. She also performed at the Prestatyn Soul Weekender festival in Wales in 2004.<ref>[http://www.prestatynsoulweekender.com/page/historichighlights Prestatyn Soul Weekender: Historic highlights] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822162231/http://prestatynsoulweekender.com/page/historichighlights |date=2018-08-22 }}. Retrieved 18 January 2012</ref> She performed with the Enchanters at a Philadelphia-area show in March 2008, and in Baltimore in June 2008. Washington was among the 2008 honorees in Community Works' Ladies Singing the Blues music series.<ref name=mlc/>

==Discography== ===Chart singles=== Note: Credited as Baby Washington unless stated otherwise. {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Single ! colspan="2"| Chart Positions |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="40"| US Pop<ref>{{cite book|first=Joel|last=Whitburn|year=2003|title=Top Pop Singles 1955-2002|edition=1st|publisher=Record Research Inc.|location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin|isbn=0-89820-155-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/755 755]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/755}}</ref> ! width="40"| US R&B<ref name="whitburnr&b">{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=1996 |publisher=Record Research |page=468}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"| 1959 | align="left"| "The Time" | - | 22 |- | align="left"| "The Bells (On Our Wedding Day)" | - | 20 |- |1960 | align="left" | "Work Out" |105 | |- | rowspan="1"| 1961 | align="left"| "Nobody Cares (About Me)" (Jeanette (Baby) Washington) | 60 | 17 |- | rowspan="2"| 1962 | align="left"| "Handful of Memories" |116 | 16 |- | align="left" |"Hush Heart" |102 | |- | rowspan="3"| 1963 | align="left"| "That's How Heartaches Are Made" | 40 | 10 |- | align="left"| "Leave Me Alone" | 62 | 21 |- | align="left"| "Hey Lonely One" | 100 | n/a<ref name=chart>''Billboard'' did not publish an R&B chart between November 1963 and January 1965</ref> |- | rowspan="3"| 1964 | align="left"| "I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby" (Justine Washington) | 93 | n/a<ref name=chart/> |- | align="left"| "The Clock" | 100 | n/a<ref name=chart/> |- | align="left"| "It'll Never Be Over for Me" | 98 | n/a<ref name=chart/> |- | rowspan="1"| 1965 | align="left"| "Only Those in Love" | 73 | 10 |- | rowspan="1"| 1969 | align="left"| "I Don't Know" | - | 35 |- | rowspan="3"| 1973 | align="left"| "Forever" (Baby Washington & Don Gardner) | 119 | 30 |- | align="left"| "Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind" | - | 76 |- | align="left"| "I've Got to Break Away" | - | 32 |- | rowspan="1"| 1975 | align="left"| "Can't Get Over Losing You" | - | 88 |- |}

===Original studio albums=== * ''That's How Heartaches Are Made'' (1963) Sue Records * ''Only Those in Love'' (1965) Sue Records * ''With You in Mind'' (1968) Veep Records (VPS 16528) * ''Lay a Little Lovin' on Me''—duet album with Don Gardner (1973) * ''I Wanna Dance'' (1978) AVI Records (AVI 6038)<ref name="LarkinGE"/>

=== Compilation albums === * ''I've Got a Feeling'' (June 2005) Released by Stateside Records [Many songs featured are on CD for the first time with this release]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p5793/biography|pure_url=yes}} All Music Biography] *{{Discogs artist}} *[http://koti.mbnet.fi/wdd/babywashington.htm Baby Washington singles] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111102225819/http://koti.mbnet.fi/wdd/babywashington.htm |date=2011-11-02 }} *[http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/bwashington.htm Justine "Baby" Washington at Soulful Kinda Music (includes complete discography)] *[http://www.oldies.com/artist-view/Baby-Washington.html Justine "Baby" Washington via oldies.com] * Huston, Bruce. Baby Washington Part Two: Her Soul Years. ''Soul Survivor'' magazine No. 10 (Spring 1989; Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Washington clears up confusion with Jeanette Washington on page 15.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington, Baby}} Category:1940 births Category:Living people Category:American soul musicians Category:American women singers Category:People from Bamberg, South Carolina Category:Chess Records artists Category:Sue Records artists Category:21st-century American women