SAN FRANCISCO ( KRON ) — Sugar Pie DeSanto, a prolific Bay Area soul, R&B and blues artist, who performed with greats like James Brown, has died at age 89, according to a family member. DeSanto, who was of Filipino, German and Black descent, according to her brother, passed away in her sleep on Dec. 20.
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DeSanto, who was born Umpeylia Marcema Balinton, was reportedly given her stage name and recording debut by blues and soul bandleader/songwriter Johnny Otis, himself a Vallejo native. With a genre-spanning career that encompassed blues, soul and jazz, DeSanto was also a “hilarious comedienne” and a “show-stopping dancer,” according to her AllMusic bio .
As a songwriter, her compositions were cut by a who’s who of blues and soul greats, including Little Milton, Minnie Riperton, Billy Stewart, and the Dells, to name a few.
She was discovered at San Francisco’s Ellis Theater and offered a contract by Otis to come to Los Angeles and record in the late 1950s. While performing at the famed Apollo in New York, she reportedly made such an impression on James Brown, he hired her as his opening act for the next two years.
She wrote around 100 songs and recorded a string of singles over a career that spanned decades. Some of her standout tracks include the 1961 LP “Sugar Pie,” and singles like “I Want to Know” and “Soulful Dress.” She also recorded “In the Basement,” a duet with Etta James.
“She was the first Filipino blues artist of her time,” her brother wrote on Facebook. “My sister was one of a kind and you will never see anyone like her again. She was full of energy and commanded respect when she walked on stage as well as in life. I am truly going to miss her.”…