Fontella Bass, who is best known for her 1965 hit “Rescue Me,” passed away at the age of 72 on December 26, 2012 in St. Louis. Bass, who had other hits, is best known for the song she co-wrote during a jam session with Carl Smith, Raynard Miner, and Phil Wright. Her recording of the song for Chess Records went to Number 4 on the Billboard pop chart and to Number 1 on the R&B charts.
Although one might think that having a great hit song would only be a source of joy, Bass had to fight over royalty rights to “Rescue Me” for decades. Initially, she did not have a manager and did not get much royalties from her hit song, instead making a living from her voice in commercials. Later, she had to fight to get some money for her record and among the settlements, she reached an agreement with American Express in 1993 after they used her song in a commercial.
There was an upside to the litigation around “Rescue Me,” as Bass explained in a November 1995 interview with The Tuscaloosa News. The American Express battle inspired her and earned her some money to come out of a low point in her life.
Aside from the litigation, Bass did not always get the recognition she deserved for her most famous song. Many mistakenly think Aretha Franklin is the original singer of “Rescue Me,” which I suppose is a complement for most singers. Franklin eventually recorded a version of “Rescue Me” for a 1992 Pizza Hut commercial where the chorus was instead “Deliver Me.”
Bass lived in Europe for awhile, leaving the American recording industry in 1969, but she recorded periodically. She had other more modest hits like “Don’t Mess Up a Good Thing” with Bobby McClure and other recordings like the very different funk and jazz-inspired “Theme de Yoyo.” She earned a Grammy nomination for a 1995 gospel album.
But it is “Rescue Me” that is mentioned in the first line of her obituaries. It is a great gift she gave to the world even it it was not always a gift to her. In the video below, she sings the song on Shindig! in 1965, before the years of litigation, not yet realizing she would never have such a song again.
For more information, Randall Roberts at the Los Angeles Times writes a nice appreciation of Bass’s work. NPR has a short audio story about Bass. The Guardian has a nice obituary too.
(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)
