A major deep soul rediscovery---Jo Armstead may be known mostly to record collectors for "Stone Good Lover," her 1968 R&B hit. But she was an Ikette when it counted, wrote songs with unknowns Ashford and Simpson for Ray Charles ("Let's Go Get Stoned [+]A major deep soul rediscovery---Jo Armstead may be known mostly to record collectors for "Stone Good Lover," her 1968 R&B hit. But she was an Ikette when it counted, wrote songs with unknowns Ashford and Simpson for Ray Charles ("Let's Go Get Stoned") and sang backgrounds with everybody from Bob Dylan and Nina Simone to Burt Bacharach and Archie Shepp. She starred in Melvin Van Pebbles' landmark Broadway Production "Don't Play Us Cheap" and once managed a professional prize fighter. She has recently been giving some thought to doing a one-woman's show. And now, look out world, she's cleaned out her tape closet and pulled together a stunning collection of raw, powerful, unrestrained performances from throughout the prime of her career. Be prepared "Joshie" Jo Armstead is the real deal.
Joel Selvin S.F. Chronicle
INTRODUCTION
"Jo Armstead is like a priceless work of art that stays tucked away in some private collection and becomes available for the public to gaze upon its splendor on but rare occasions," wrote one New York critic. The career of this multifaceted lady from Yazoo City, Mississippi, has indeed been to briefly capture public attention in one spectrum of the entertainment world or another and then tuck herself away again in her own private world.
BACKGROUND
The time---October 8, 1944; the place---Yazoo City, Mississippi; the event, a child prodigy named Josephine Armstead is born to Wilton and Rosie Armstead. "Little Josephine" sang gospel music throughout the city. In school, she was awarded scholarships to several colleges for her outstanding achievement as a soloist. She was nick-named "Joshie" due to her quickness and speed as a high school athlete; it stuck and followed her to the stage where she clearly made her mark as a professional. The birth of her daughter Chandra changed her direction from academic to professional.
ARTISTIC CREDITS
Jo Armstead comes with exceptional credentials. In the early sixties, she was one of the original Ikettes with The Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Later, she joined an exciting song-writing team known as Ashford, Simpson & Armstead which gave us such hits as the Ray Charles recording of "Lets Go Get Stoned." Ms. Armstead left Ashford and Simpson to form her own production company in Chicago
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