Jo Armstead

Armstead was born to Wilton and Rosie Armstead in Yazoo City, Mississippi on October 8, 1944. She started singing in the church in which her mother was a minister. After her grandfather introduced her to blues music, she also began singing in juke joints and at dances, and first sang in a club as part of Bobby "Blue" Bland's band. She joined a local band, Little Melvin & The Downbeats, as a teenager. In 1960, Armstead along with Eloise Hester and Delores Johnson became The Ikettes as part of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. She had been recommended to Ike Turner by her sister Velma Dishman who was his ex-wife. As an Ikette, Armstead recorded the single "I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)" which peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the R&B chart. In 1962, Armstead settled in New York City and recorded under the name Deena Johnson, by her own account a pseudonym to avoid being tracked down by Turner. Its follow-up "I Don't Need No Doctor" was also a hit. The trio of writers also had success with songs for Chuck Jackson, Maxine Brown and Tina Britt. == Selected discography ==

Singles Backing vocal credits • 1971: Esther Phillips – From A Whisper to a Scream • 1971: Valerie Simpson – Exposed • 1971: Roberta Flack – "To Love Somebody" • 1971: Quincy Jones – Smackwater Jack • 1971: B.B. King – In London • 1972: Valerie Simpson – Valerie Simpson • 1972: David Bromberg – "Sharon" • 1972: Archie Shepp – Attica Blues • 1973: Ashford & Simpson – Gimme Something Real • 1973: Blood, Sweat & Tears – No Sweat • 1973: Esther Phillips – Black-Eyed Blues • 1974: The Kiki Dee Band – "I've Got the Music in Me" • 1974: Ashford & Simpson – I Wanna Be Selfish • 1975: Roberta Flack – ''Feel Like Makin' Love'' • 1975: Sky King – Secret Sauce • 1975: Randall Bramblett – That Other Mile • 1975: Frankie Valli – Closeup • 1976: Ashford & Simpson – Come As You Are • 1977: Burt Bacharach – Futures • 1978: Taj Mahal – "Why You Do Me This Way" • 1978: Good Rats – "You're Still Doing It" • 1978: Sylvia Syms – She Loves To Hear The Music • 1978: Nina Simone – Baltimore • 1979: Ashford & Simpson – "Dance Forever" • 1980: Jess Roden – Stonechaser • 1981: Max Romeo – "Holding Out My Love To You" • 1982: Stephanie Mills – Tantalizingly Hot • 1998: Luther Vandross – "Get It Right" Songwriting credits • 1965: "The Real Thing" – Tina Britt • 1965: "One Step at a Time" – Maxine Brown • 1966: "Let's Go Get Stoned" – Ray Charles • 1965: "Hey Ho, What You Do to Me" – The Guess Who • 1965: "My Heart Belongs to You" – The Shirelles • 1965: "Never Had It so Good" – Ronnie Milsap • 1966: "The Hard Way" – The Nashville Teens • 1966: "I'm Satisfied" – Chuck Jackson & Maxine Brown • 1966: "Cry Like a Baby" – Aretha Franklin • 1966: "I Don't Need No Doctor" – Ray Charles • 1967: "Come On Sock It to Me" – Syl Johnson • 1967: "Casanova (Your Playing Days Are Over)" – Ruby Andrews • 1968: "A Stone Good Lover" – Jo Armstead • 1968: "I've Been Turned On" – Jo Armstead • 1968: "Sock It to Me (Part I)" – The Deacons • 1969: "Look at Mary Wonder (How I Got Over)" – Carl Carlton • 1969: "Jealous Kind of Fella" – Garland Green • 1969: "Don't Think That I'm a Violent Guy" – Garland Green • 1970: "Drop by My Place" – Carl Carlton • 1970: "I Can Feel It" – Carl Carlton • 1971: "I Don't Need No Doctor" – Humble Pie • 1972: "I Don't Need No Doctor" – New Riders of the Purple Sage • 1972: "Silly Wasn't I" – Valerie Simpson • 1973: "Cry Like a Baby" – Dorothy Moore • 1974: "Stumblin' Blocks, Steppin' Stones (What Took Me So Long)" – Jo Armstead • 1980: "Casanova" – Coffee • 1982: "A Friend of Mine" – Gladys Knight & the Pips • 1987: "I Don't Need No Doctor" – W.A.S.P. == Stage ==