Valerie Carr

Valerie Carr (born 1936, New York) is an African-American singer. Her most fondly remembered single is probably "I Talk Too Much," her answer song to Joe Jones' 1960 hit, "You Talk Too Much". [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=VALERIE|CARR&sql=11:g9fqxqt5ldke~T1 Allmusic.com biography] ]

Career

A gifted vocalist, in the mid 1950s, Carr recorded for King Records before being signed in 1958 by Roulette Records where she remained until 1962. At Roulette, one of her 45 rpm recordings, "When The Boys Talk About The Girls," peaked on the 1958 Billboard chart at No. 19, [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=VALERIE|CARR&sql=11:g9fqxqt5ldke~T5 Allmusic.com - Charts & Awards] ] and also reached the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart.cite book
first= David
last= Roberts
year= 2006
title= British Hit Singles & Albums
edition= 19th
publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
location= London
pages= p. 95
id= ISBN 1-904994-10-5] The lack of further chart action in the UK gave Carr the tag there of being a one hit wonder.

However, the b-side of the record was her version of "Padre" that had been released a short time before by Toni Arden and became a million-seller hit. "Padre" is a hauntingly beautiful ballad of love lost that demonstrated the purity of Carr's voice. At the time, many believed Carr's version to be superior, and it was rumored that radio listeners may have mistakenly bought the Arden version in error.

In 1959, Carr put out two modestly successful LPs, "Song Stylist Extraordinaire" and "Ev'ry Hour Ev'ry Day of My Life", the latter considered by some as her best work. In 1960 she recorded "Oh Gee"/"You Belong in Someone Else's Arms," the b-side written by Burt Bacharach and Bob Hilliard. Her 1961 single "I Left There Crying" made it into the U.S. Top 50.

Carr was reportedly one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Buddy Holly's, favorite singers.

References