Artist:Little Eva
Song:The Loco-Motion
Album:Girl Group Greats
This 1962 #1 hit is an excellent example that no one knows anything in the music business and the next big hit can come from nowhere. Eva Narcissus Boyd was born June 29, 1943 in Belhaven, NC and grew up in Brooklyn, NY. Eva was earning extra money babysitting for legendary Brill Building songwriters Carole King & Gerry Goffin. She would do this little dance around the house and they wrote The Loco-Motion for Eva's dancing style. Eva recorded what was only intended to be a demo. But producer Don Kirshner liked Eva's singing so much, he decided to release it and it was a #1 hit in 1962. Eva's only other top 20 hit was Let's Turkey Trot. She was typecast as a dance craze singer and retired from the music business in 1971. This Rhino comp Girl Group Greats is a great intro to that sound to newcomers. It's got 20 big hits including some Motown. The Loco-Motion was a hit for Grand Funk in 1974 and then Aussie pop star Kylie Minogue in 1987. Eva said she didn't like Kylie's version but was thankful as it allowed her to return to music. She recorded albums in 1989 & 1995 and toured the oldies circuit until she died of cervical cancer on Apr. 10, 2003 at age 59. Here's Little Eva performing The Loco-Motion on Shindig 1962.
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