Jean Knight, the singer of the popular and sassy song “Mr Big Stuff” in 1971, has passed away at the age of 80. Her publicist has confirmed that she died from natural causes, and her friend Bernie Cyrus, who is the executive director of the Louisiana Music Commission, also verified the news to Rolling Stone.
In 1943, Knight, originally named Jean Caliste, was born in New Orleans. She made her first demo recording in 1965, which was a rendition of Jackie Wilson’s Stop Doggin’ Me Around. While she released several singles, she was not well-known beyond her community and had to work as a baker to supplement her music career. However, working with producer Wardell Quezergue in 1970 resulted in her hit song, Mr Big Stuff, which greatly improved her success.
Knight was not impressed by a flashy man’s car and clothes and scolded him for his mistreatment of women. Despite being rejected by multiple labels, Mr Big Stuff remains a standout in the 70s soul and funk scene. It was not until King Floyd’s hit, Groove Me, recorded on the same day and in the same studio, that Stax Records decided to sign Knight. Mr Big Stuff reached the top spot on the US R&B chart and also made it to No 2 on the main pop chart (just behind How Can You Mend a Broken Heart by the Bee Gees). The single went double platinum and earned Knight a nomination for best female R&B vocal performance at the 1972 Grammy awards.
Disputes between Quezergue and Stax meant she was dropped the following year, and never matched the success of Mr Big Stuff. But she continued to record and release music until 1999, and had a minor hit in 1985 with My Toot Toot reaching No 50 in the US charts.
The enduring fame of Mr Big Stuff is attributed to its use in various soundtracks and advertisements. It even became a popular reggae track, titled Sister Big Stuff, and has been sampled by artists such as John Legend and Eazy-E. In 2002, the artist stated that the royalties from the song were more lucrative than they were 31 years prior, and she can simply wait for the mailman to receive her earnings. Another one of her songs, Do Me, has recently gained popularity on streaming platforms, likely due to its appearance in the film Superbad.
Source: theguardian.com
