By Adam S. Levy for Dailymail.com, November 27, 2023, 5:12 am, updated November 27, 2023, 6:15 am
- Mr. Big Stuff peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart upon its release
- It spent another five weeks at the top of the Billboard Soul Singles chart
- Other singles Knight released throughout her career included Carry On, Do Me, My Toot Toot, Helping Man, Jesse Joe (You Got to Go) and You Think You’re Hot Stuff
- “New Orleans and her global fan base unite in gratitude for the indelible mark she left on the world,” her family said
Mr. Big Stuff singer Jean Knight has died of natural causes at the age of 80, according to her publicist.
The 80-year-old R&B and soul singer’s death was originally reported by veteran broadcaster New Orleans LBJwho released a press release from her family last Wednesday, which was subsequently confirmed by TMZ.
“Jean Knight’s legacy is not just musical; “It is a testament to the enduring love between an artist, her hometown and the fans who adored her,” her family said in a statement. “As we say goodbye to this iconic soul-stress, New Orleans and her global fan base unite in gratitude for the indelible mark she left on the world.”
Other singles Knight released throughout her career included Carry On, Do Me, My Toot Toot, Helping Man, Jesse Joe (You Got to Go) and You Think You’re Hot Stuff.
Knight, best known for her 1971 song Mr. Big Stuff, which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart upon its release and number one on the Billboard Soul Singles chart for another five weeks.
Mr. Big Stuff singer Jean Knight has died aged 80. Pictured in 2014 in New Orleans The 80-year-old R&B and soul singer’s death was first reported last Wednesday by veteran New Orleans broadcaster LBJ when he released a statement from her family
Knight’s family noted her vaunted career in their statement, pointing to her stints at JetStream Records, Stax Records and eventually her own record label called Comstar.
The family said they “kindly request privacy during this difficult time and express their heartfelt gratitude for the love and support of fans.”
Mr. Big Stuff, the New Orleans singer’s catchy song, has become a staple in other media such as television, film and other music through sampling.
Productions using the song include Black-ish, Everwood, Family Guy, The Deuce, Semi-Pro and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Music artists who have sampled or remixed the track include Queen Latifah, John Legend, the Beastie Boys, TLC, Eazy-E, Heavy D & The Boyz, Everclear and Girl Talk. The track has also been covered by artists such as Precious Metal and Lyn Collins.
Knight was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in October 2007 at an event in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
According to an LMHOF biography, the artist, whose real name is Jean Caliste, first made her breakthrough in music when her first husband persuaded her to record a demo tape at J&M Studio in 1965. Among the tracks she performed was a cover of Stop Doggin’ Me Around by Jackie Wilson.
Texas-based producer Huey Meaux was in attendance, collaborating with another artist. He was impressed by Knight and signed her to a record deal.
The singer was pictured during a performance in 1970. The musician was pictured on stage in her native New Orleans in 1986. Knight was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in October 2007. Pictured in New Orleans in 2012
Knight had been working as a baker at Loyola University in New Orleans when “a stranger approached her and said he had written some songs that producer Wardell Quezergue wanted her to sing,” according to the LMHOF.
She traveled to Malaco Studio in Jackson, Mississippi, where she heard a Mr. Big Stuff recording for the first time. She wanted to make changes to the song, which was a ballad that she wanted to “enliven.”
One of the song’s writers, Joe Broussard, told Knight to sing the song “the way she felt it,” and she delivered the final version “on her second take,” according to the LMHOF.
Memphis-based Stax Records eventually recorded the song “Mr. Big Stuff” and released it, which was “an overnight sensation in the Washington and New York markets” in May 1971 and eventually hit the Billboard charts.
According to LMHOF, it remained on the charts for 16 weeks and subsequently sold more than three million copies.
Knight was pictured singing at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in April 1999. Seen in 2012, Knight made crucial changes to the pace and tempo of Mr. Big Stuff when she recorded it. Other singles Knight released throughout her career included Carry On, Do Me, My Toot Toot, Helping Man, Jesse Joe (You Got to Go) and You Think You’re Hot Stuff. Pictured in 2016 in New Orleans. Several of the singer’s fans mourned her death on Twitter on Sunday
Several of the singer’s fans mourned her death on Twitter on Sunday.
One user said: “RIP Jean Knight, prayers to her family.” “Thank you for this classic.”
Another said: “RIP Jean Knight.” “Mr Big Stuff is an absolute classic.”
One user said: “My entire childhood is gone. ‘RIP Jean Knight!’
Some fans pointed out the lasting value of their biggest hit in remixes and samples.
“Without this song we wouldn’t have Who Do We Think We Are by John Legend so thank you Mrs. Jean Knight,” one user said.