Marlena Shaw, ‘California Soul’ singer, dead at 81

Marlena Shaw, an R&B/jazz singer known for her cover of Ashford & Simpson’s composition “California Soul,” died Friday, her daughter said. She was 81.

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Marla Bradshaw announced her mother’s death in a Facebook video. She did not elaborate.

“Hello everyone, it is with a very heavy heart that for myself and my family, I announce that our beloved mother, your beloved icon and artist, Marlena Shaw, has passed away today at 12:03,” Bradshaw said. “She was peaceful, we were at peace.”

TMZ was the first outlet to report the singer’s death.

Shaw’s version of “California Soul” was a track on her 1969 album, “The Spice of Life,” according to Deadline. The song has been sampled by Gang Starr, DJ Shadow, Diplo and Nightmares on Wax.

Shaw’s music influenced performers in R&B, jazz, soul and disco, CBS News reported. She rose to prominence after she was noticed by executives with Chess Records in 1996, according to the news outlet.

She cut “California Soul” with Chess Records before switching to a more jazz-oriented label.

The track was first recorded by The Messengers and later became a staple on television commercials, Deadline reported. It currently has more than 100 million streams on Spotify, according to the entertainment news website.

Shaw released 17 albums with eight different record labels, CBS News reported.

She was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo Or Group for the song, “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby.”

She was born Marlina Burgess in New Rochelle, New York on Sept. 22, 1942. Shaw’s highest charting album was 1977′s, “Sweet Beginnings” which peaked at No. 62 for Columbia Records. According to Billboard, her highest charting single was “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” in 1967.

She also recorded the theme song “Don’t Ask to Stay Until Tomorrow” for the 1977 film, “Looking for Mr. Goodbar,” according to Deadline.

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