Ella Washington

Biography

Ella Washington (born October 25, 1943) is an American former R&B and gospel singer, described as "an outstanding Southern soul vocalist" and best known for her 1969 hit "He Called Me Baby×He Called Me Baby2008 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 28 tracks1I Can't Afford to Lose Him2:162Starving for Love2:233I Done Made It Up in My Mind2:314He Called Me Baby3:015You're Gonna Cry, Cry, Cry2:356Stop Giving Your Man Away2:527The Affair2:208I Want to Walk Through This Life With You2:539Fragile (Handle With Care)2:1710Doing the Best I Can2:4211Sweeter and Sweeter (Ray, Ray, Ray)2:3512All the Time2:3513This Bitter Earth2:3714Sit Down and Cry3:2615He'll Be Back3:5016I Don't Care About Your Past2:5417It Must Be Love2:4618Too Weak to Fight2:5419If Time Could Stand Still3:0020Nobody but Me3:0721I'm Losing the Feeling2:4122Mission (That's Impossible)2:5023What a Fool I've Been (For Loving You)2:5924Deeper3:2425I've Got to Have You (It's All Over)2:3926Pride2:1127We Paid the Price2:5728You Got It2:35". She later became a church pastor.

Biography

Washington was born in Miami, Florida, and first recorded in 1965 for the local Octavia label. Her single "The Grass Always Seems Greener" was leased to Atlantic Records for release, but did not achieve commercial success.
In 1967, she began recording for the Sound Stage 7 label in Nashville, Tennessee. Several of her records were produced by radio disc jockey John Richbourg, and were recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Her third single for Sound Stage 7, "He Called Me Baby×He Called Me Baby2008 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 28 tracks1I Can't Afford to Lose Him2:162Starving for Love2:233I Done Made It Up in My Mind2:314He Called Me Baby3:015You're Gonna Cry, Cry, Cry2:356Stop Giving Your Man Away2:527The Affair2:208I Want to Walk Through This Life With You2:539Fragile (Handle With Care)2:1710Doing the Best I Can2:4211Sweeter and Sweeter (Ray, Ray, Ray)2:3512All the Time2:3513This Bitter Earth2:3714Sit Down and Cry3:2615He'll Be Back3:5016I Don't Care About Your Past2:5417It Must Be Love2:4618Too Weak to Fight2:5419If Time Could Stand Still3:0020Nobody but Me3:0721I'm Losing the Feeling2:4122Mission (That's Impossible)2:5023What a Fool I've Been (For Loving You)2:5924Deeper3:2425I've Got to Have You (It's All Over)2:3926Pride2:1127We Paid the Price2:5728You Got It2:35", was a reworking of a 1962 song by Harlan Howard (originally "She Called Me Baby"), which had previously been recorded by many country singers including Bobby Bare and Patsy Cline. Washington's version reached # 77 on the Billboard Hot 100, and # 38 on the Billboard R&B chart, but was her only hit record. However, she released an LP, Ella Washington, in 1969, and a succession of singles on the Sound Stage 7 label through to 1972, including "Stop Giving Your Man Away" and "Trying To Make You Love Me".
In 1973, she turned from secular to gospel music. She sang "Amazing Grace" and "Because He Lives" at John Richbourg's funeral in 1986. By 2009, as Ella Washington Cobbs, she was pastor at Theos Ministries church in Opa-locka, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
The first compilation album of her recordings, Nobody But Me, was released by Charly Records in 1987. A CD of her recordings for Sound Stage 7, He Called Me Baby, was issued on the Soulscape label in 2009.