0
Etta James
Etta James
American recording artist; singer
1
Sass Jordan
Sass Jordan
Rock singer/songwriter
2
Mickey Guyton
Mickey Guyton
American singer
3
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
American jazz singer
4
Ruth Brown
Ruth Brown
American singer-songwriter (1928-2006)
5
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
American gospel musician
6
Lottie Kimbrough
Lottie Kimbrough
American country blues singer
7
Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy
American R&B singer songwriter
8
E.C. Scott
E.C. Scott
musical artist
9
Arthur G. Wright
Arthur G. Wright
American musician
10
Wendy Matthews
Wendy Matthews
Australian singer
11
Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington
American singer, songwriter, pianist
12
Big Mama Thornton
Big Mama Thornton
American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter
13
Martha Reeves
Martha Reeves
American singer and politician
14
Little Miss Cornshucks
Little Miss Cornshucks
American singer
15
Esther Phillips
Esther Phillips
American R&B singer
16
Jane Harvey
Jane Harvey
American jazz singer
17
Ray Charles
Ray Charles
American recording artist; musician, singer, songwriter
18
Louis Jordan
Louis Jordan
American jazz, blues and rhythm and blues musician, songwriter and bandleader (1908-1975)
19
Fontella Bass
Fontella Bass
American singer
20
Angelina Jordan
Angelina Jordan
Norwegian singer
21
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
American jazz singer
22
Trixie Smith
Trixie Smith
African American blues singer, recording artist, vaudeville entertainer, and actress (1895-1943)
23
Big Joe Turner
Big Joe Turner
American blues shouter
24
Darlene Love
Darlene Love
American musician
25
Brenda Holloway
Brenda Holloway
American musician
26
Victoria Spivey
Victoria Spivey
American blues singer and songwriter
27
Kitty White
Kitty White
American singer
28
Mickey Baker
Mickey Baker
American jazz and rock guitarist
29
Mable John
Mable John
American blues vocalist
30
Martha and the Vandellas
Martha and the Vandellas
American vocal group
31
Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
American singer, songwriter, and television personality
32
Count Basie
Count Basie
American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer (1904-1984)
33
Mighty Mo Rodgers
Mighty Mo Rodgers
American blues musician and songwriter
34
Faith Evans
Faith Evans
American recording artist; singer
35
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
American singer, actress, and filmmaker
36
Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
American actress and singer
37
Johnny Otis
Johnny Otis
American singer, musician, composer, and record producer
38
Susan Tedeschi
Susan Tedeschi
American blues and soul musician
39
Elle King
Elle King
American singer, songwriter, and actress
40
Coot Grant
Coot Grant
American classic female blues and vaudeville singer and songwriter
41
Julie London
Julie London
American actress and singer (1926-2000)
42
Gloria Jones
Gloria Jones
American singer
43
The Groupies
The Groupies
44
Charles Brown
Charles Brown
American recording artist; songwriter, blues singer and pianist
45
The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers
American blues and soul band
46
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno
Puerto Rican singer, dancer and actress
47
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
American singer, songwriter and actor
48
Joe Lutcher
Joe Lutcher
American musician
49
Doris Troy
Doris Troy
American actress and singer (1937-2004)
50
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
American jazz singer
51
Clara Ward
Clara Ward
American gospel artist; singer, music arranger, songwriter
52
Alberta Adams
Alberta Adams
American singer, musician
53
Deborah Cox
Deborah Cox
Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and actress
54
Merry Clayton
Merry Clayton
American musician
55
Calvin Boze
Calvin Boze
American trumpeter and bandleader
56
Debbie Gravitte
Debbie Gravitte
American actress, singer
57
Toni Basil
Toni Basil
American singer, actress, choreographer, dancer, and director
58
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
American singer-songwriter
59
Bobbie Gentry
Bobbie Gentry
American singer-songwriter
60
Timi Yuro
Timi Yuro
American singer
61
Eden Espinosa
Eden Espinosa
American actress and singer
62
Hayedeh
Hayedeh
Iranian singer
63
Lena Horne
Lena Horne
American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer (1917-2010)
64
Ethel Waters
Ethel Waters
American blues, jazz and gospel vocalist and actress
Mickey Champion
American singer (1925-2014)

Mickey Champion

Intro
American singer (1925-2014)

Mickey Champion (born Mildred Sallier April 9, 1925 – November 24, 2014) was an American blues singer. With a career spanning five decades, Champion is best remembered for her powerful vocals, and for guesting alongside other prominent musical acts.

Champion was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana. She was raised by her aunts and had her first experience as a singer at Lake Charles Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, where her grandfather was a bishop. Admired for the quality and intensity of her religious singing, she became part of a vocal trio, and while in high school was heard and praised by bandleader Louis Jordan. However, Champion, upon her family's insistence, was required to turn down an offer by Jordan to join his troupe. Shortly after graduating from high school, Champion married her first husband, Norman Champion, and in 1945 the couple moved to Los Angeles. Originally working as Little Mickey Champion, she soon lead an active career in the cities bustling nightclub scene.

The marriage between Mickey and Norman Champion was brief and soon ended in divorce. As her notoriety for her powerful vocalizing without the use of any microphones grew, Champion expanded her performing outside Los Angeles alongside other musical acts such as T-Bone Walker, Little Esther Phillips, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, and Jackie Wilson in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Among one of her collaborators was Roy Milton, who Champion married, recorded several sides with in the mid-1950s, and stayed with until Milton's death in 1983. In addition, Champion recorded four singles, along with several demos.

In the 1960s, Champion withdrew from touring to focus on her family, but still performed in nightclubs on weekends. After a long hiatus, she returned to recording, producing two albums I am Your Loving Legend! and What You Want both on Tandef Records.

Champion suffered several strokes before dying on November 24, 2014 in Los Angeles.