Carlena Williams (February 25, 1942 – November 13, 2013) was an American vocalist. Early in her career, she recorded under her name, Flora Williams, as an Ikette in the

Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner was an American musical duo consisting of husband-and-wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocalists, the Ikettes. ...

Revue. In the 1960s she released a few singles as Carlena Weaver. She later toured with rock group

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...

as a backing vocalist. Williams sang with various artists, including

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, and

Humble Pie Humble Pie are an English Rock music, rock band formed by Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton in Moreton, Essex, in 1969. They are known as one of the first Supergroup (music), supergroups of the late 1960s and enjoyed success in the early 1970s ...

. Williams was a member of Sunshine,

Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...

's backing vocal group in the 1970s.

Life and career

Born on February 25, 1942, Flora Williams spent her childhood in

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. She began singing in church at the age of 13, and during high school she sang in the vocal group called the Delvettes. After graduation she relocated to

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

. In Buffalo, she sang at the nightclub the Shalimar Club where she opened for headliners. Williams sang in the Corinthian Gospel Singers with Venetta Fields who became an Ikette in the

Revue. Williams joined the revue in the early 1960s. She released a few singles written and produced by

Ike Turner Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and ...

on his labels Teena Records and Sonja Records. After her tenure as an Ikette, she returned to Buffalo, and later toured with the Avengers which included two other vocalists Hank Mullen and Moe Jones. She released a single under the name Carlena Weaver on the homegrown Audel label in 1967. Some time after, she released another single on Mo Do Records, owned by William Nunn (father of R&B singer Bobby Nunn). Williams paired up with Venetta Fields as The Blackberries, which had been the name of a group Fields formed with singer

Clydie King Clydie Mae King (August 21, 1943 – January 7, 2019) was an American singer, best known for her session work as a backing vocalist. King also recorded solo under her name. In the 1970s, she recorded as Brown Sugar, and her single "Loneliness ( ...

. In 1973, they were working with Humble Pie when Pink Floyd guitarist

convinced them to sing with

. Fields sang on their

Dark Side of the Moon Tour The Dark Side of the Moon Tour was a concert tour by English rock band Pink Floyd in 1972 and 1973 in support of their album ''The Dark Side of the Moon'', covering the UK, US, Europe and Japan. There were two separate legs promoting the albu ...

and Williams was on their 1974 French Summer Tour. Williams and Fields also provided vocals for Pink Floyd's album ''Wish You Were Here'' (1975). In 1975, Williams released a solo single on Venice Records. Through the latter part of the decade she sang backing vocals for various artists, including Roy Buchanan,

, and

. She also contributed vocals to

's first solo album ''

'' (1978). In 1984, she recorded for Broadcast Records located in North Carolina. Williams released her self-published autobiography, ''A Promise Is A Promise'', in 2006. She died on November 13, 2013.

Discography

Singles

Flora Williams

* 1963: "Love Me Or Leave Me" / "I'll Wait For You" ( Teena 1704) * 1963: "Blue With A Broken Heart "/ "Mind In A Whirl" ( Sonja 2003)

Carlena Weaver

* 1967: "Jealousy" / "Heart Break" (Audel 363) * 1968/1969: "Smile A Rainbow" / "Happy Mood" (Mo Do 105)

Carlena Williams

* 1975: "Hey Radio" / "I Won't Be Completely Happy" (Venice 001) * 1984: "(When I'm) Touching You" / "When You're Near" (Broadcast 10705)

Album appearances

* 1992: The Ikettes – ''Fine Fine Fine'' ( Kent Records) * 2007: The Ikettes – ''Can't Sit Down... 'Cos It Feels So Good: The Complete Modern Recordings'' (Kent Soul) * 2007: The Ikettes – '' Soul The Hits'' (

Modern Records Modern Records (Modern Music Records before 1947) was an American record company and label formed in 1945 in Los Angeles by the Bihari brothers. Modern's artists included Hadda Brooks, Etta James, Joe Houston, Little Richard, Ike & Tina Turn ...

) * 2012: ''A Woman Needs A Man To Love: Lady Soul 1965-1991'' ( P-Vine Records)

Backing vocal credits

* 1974:

– ''Come A Little Closer'' * 1974:

– ''Thunderbox'' * 1974: Roy Buchanan – ''In The Beginning'' *1974: Richard "Dimples" Fields – ''Spoiled Rotten!'' *1974:

Love Love is a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment (psychology), attachment to a person, animal, or thing. It is expressed in many forms, encompassing a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most su ...

– ''Reel-To-Real'' *1975:

Country Joe McDonald Joseph Allen "Country Joe" McDonald (born January 1, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter and musician who was the lead vocalist of the 1960s psychedelic rock group Country Joe and the Fish.Richard Brenneman"Country Joe McDonald Revives Anti ...

– ''Paradise With An Ocean View'' * 1975:

– ''Wish You Were Here'' *1975:

The Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the L ...

– ''The Sons Of Mrs. Righteous'' *1976:

Steve Marriott Stephen Peter Marriott (30 January 1947 – 20 April 1991) was an English actor, musician, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a student at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London and appeared in the West End, before taking a r ...

– ''Marriott'' *1976: Dianne Brooks – ''Back Stairs Of My Life'' *1977:

– ''Once Upon A Time'' *1977:

– '' Sweet Forgiveness'' *1977:

– ''A Period Of Transition'' *1977:

– ''Passage'' *1978:

– ''David Gilmour'' *1978:

Paul Jabara Paul Frederick Jabara (January 31, 1948 – September 29, 1992) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He wrote Donna Summer's Oscar-winning " Last Dance" from '' Thank God It's Friday'' (1978), as well as "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough ...

– '' Keeping Time'' *1978:

– ''Live And More'' *1979: Brooklyn Dreams – ''Sleepless Nights''

Books

* 2006: ''A Promise Is A Promise'' ()

References

External links

Carlena Williams Credits
on

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Carlena 1942 births 2013 deaths African-American women singers Singers from North Carolina Musicians from Buffalo, New York Ike & Tina Turner members Sonja Records artists American soul singers American rhythm and blues singers The Blackberries members