How a soul singer transformed from an egg factory worker to a British icon
In short: Born in Los Angeles, P. P. Arnold escaped an abusive marriage to join the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. She eventually moved to London, where she became a soul sensation, collaborated with rock royalty like Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton, and sustained a career spanning over five decades of musical evolution.
Patricia Ann Cole, known as P. P. Arnold, began her life in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. By age 18, she was a mother of two working dual jobs as a clerk-typist and an egg factory worker. Her life shifted in 1965 when she joined the Ike & Tina Turner Revue as an Ikette. After a violent incident with her husband, she left him and committed to the tour, eventually finding herself in the United Kingdom.
In London, Arnold was encouraged by Mick Jagger to pursue a solo career. She signed with Immediate Records, releasing seminal albums like The First Lady of Immediate and Kafunta in 1968. Her work during this era included collaborations with the Small Faces and orchestral soul arrangements by John Paul Jones. Despite her success, she faced personal tragedy in the mid-1970s when her daughter, Debbie, died in a car accident, leading Arnold to withdraw from public life for several years.
Arnold’s resilience defined her later career. She returned to the charts in the 1980s with the hit 'Respect Yourself' and provided backing vocals for Peter Gabriel’s 'Sledgehammer'. Her musical journey continued into the 21st century, culminating in the 2019 release of The New Adventures of... P. P. Arnold. This album arrived 51 years after her debut, bridging her classic soul roots with contemporary sounds and proving her enduring influence on the music industry.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: P. P. Arnold
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