Mable John

Mable John, sister of Little Willie John, was the first woman to record for Tamla/Motown, releasing her first single in 1960. Her records didn't meet with much financial success, and by '62 she was dropped from the label. John became one of Ray Charles' backing vocalists, The Raelettes, before going solo again on the Stax label in '66. She left Stax two years later, becoming a Raelette again. In the '70s she moved into the realm of gospel music as a manager.