Katherine Anderson
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Katherine Elaine Anderson Schaffner (January 16, 1944 – September 20, 2023) was an American singer best known as a member of the Marvelettes.
Biography
Anderson was born in Inkster, Michigan, United States, and was raised in a housing project built by Henry Ford.[1] She was one of four children born to Robert, a cement finisher, and Florence Anderson, a nurse's aide.[2][1] While Anderson was not able to afford records growing up, she performed in gospel groups and the high school glee club.[1] Early in life she planned to become a legal secretary.[2]
Anderson co-founded the Marvelettes, originally called the Casinyets, in 1960 with four fellow students at Inkster High School to enter a competition that could lead to an audition with Motown Records.[1] Although they did not win the competition, a teacher convinced Motown to give the group an audition.[1] The audition was successful and in August 1961 they released "Please Mr Postman" on the label which was at the top of the charts six months later.[1] Throughout the 1960s, the Marvelettes recorded a number of other chart topping single including "Playboy", "Beachwood 45789", "Don’t Mess with Bill", and "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game".[1]
Following Motown's move from Detroit to Los Angeles, Anderson ceased her involvement with the record label.[1] Anderson moved to Las Vegas with her husband Joe Schaffner, who had previously managed the Temptations, who was studying lighting at the University of Nevada.[1] Anderson co-wrote Gladys Knight & the Pips' hit "I Don't Want to Do Wrong".[3]
Anderson later returned to Inkster and worked with troubled teens in Detroit.[1] She received her high school diploma at age 52, something touring had prevented her from doing in her youth.[1] In 2005, Anderson wrote a musical based on her life story called Now That I Can Dance 1962.[1]
She died in September 2023 at the age of 79 of heart failure, leaving Juanita Cowart Motley as the only surviving original member of The Marvelettes.[4][5]
References
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