Laura Lee

Laura Lee Newton, known professionally as Laura Lee, was born on March 9, 1945, in Chicago, Illinois. She is an American singer who began her musical journey at a young age, moving to Detroit with her mother and later joining The Meditation Singers, a prominent gospel group. Under the mentorship of Ernestine Rundless, Lee replaced Della Reese in the group and toured extensively throughout the country. Lee launched her secular solo career in 1965, performing in Detroit clubs as an R&B singer. Her first solo recording was "To Win Your Heart" for Ric-Tic Records in 1966. She later signed with Chess Records and recorded "Dirty Man", which reached number 13 on the R&B chart and number 68 on the pop chart. In 1970, Lee moved to Holland-Dozier-Holland's Hot Wax label, where she released her biggest hit, "Women’s Love Rights" in 1971, reaching number 11 on the R&B chart and number 36 on the pop chart. Her other notable releases include "Rip Off", which peaked at number 3 on the R&B chart in 1972. Lee left Hot Wax in 1975 to sign with Ariola Records but retired from the music industry shortly afterward due to illness. She returned in 1983 with a gospel album, Jesus Is The Light Of My Life, continuing to record gospel music throughout the 1990s.