Rita Coolidge
1973
 
By Michael Friedman
 
When Rita first started out, she was a background singer for many other musicians, including Bob Dylan, Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Hendrix, Steven Stills and Graham Nash.  She met Kris Kristofferson in 1970 and they recorded several duet albums, eventually winning Grammys in 1974 and 1976 for “Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal."  This photo was from the early days of when they were on the road together.  Here, as she often did, Rita pays homage to her Native American roots.  

Rita later had an illustrious solo career with big hits like “Higher and Higher”, “The Way You Do the Things You Do”, and “We’re All Alone”; all of which remain classics.