DORIS TROY
She was born Doris Elaine Higgensen in the Bronx, NY, on January 6, 1937. She came up singing in her father’s choir as her parents denounced so-called “subversive” music like Rhythm & Blues. The girl would, however, sneak out to see shows at Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater, where she got a job as an usherette at age sixteen.
She spent her off-duty hours at a restaurant where unemployed artists and composers hung out. As Doris Payne (her grandmother’s surname), she began writing songs like “How About That,” a 1959 hit for Dee Clark. She made exactly $100 off the song. During this time, she also formed a vocal group called the Halos, who never recorded.
Taking her stage name from Helen of Troy, she worked as a background singer for Atlantic Records along with sisters Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick. The three of them, joined by Cissy Houston (Whitney’s mother), formed a vocal group called the Sweet Inspirations. (They continued as a trio when Troy left to pursue her solo career.)
At Atlantic, Troy sang on recordings by Solomon Burke, the Drifters, Dionne Warwick, and Cissy Houston before she wrote “Just One Look” (as Doris Payne). She recorded the song in one take as a demo and brought it to Juggy Murray of Sue Records, who sat on it. But Atlantic’s Jerry Wexler loved the track and thought it was good enough release without re-recording it. “Just One Look” hit #3 on the R&B chart and #10 pop in the summer of 1963. At the time, Troy was touring as a back-up singer for Chuck Jackson. Next thing she knew, with a hit single, she was a featured act on the show!
The success of “Just One Look” prompted Atlantic to released an identically titled album on Troy, who either wrote or co-wrote eight of its twelve tracks. It yielded the single, “What’cha Gonna Do About It,” which made the R&B chart at #21 but missed the Hot 100 pop survey. While sales were disappointing, Atlantic did not give up on Troy, including her in the line-up of its 1964 live album, Apollo Saturday Night.
By the mid ‘60s, Troy had left Atlantic and turned up on Calla Records. Her 1965 release, “I’ll Do Anything (He Wants Me to Do)” / “Heartaches,” became a huge favorite of England’s Northern Soul scene. Troy later made one single for Capitol, which did nothing.
In 1969, she relocated to London. There, Troy was signed to the Beatles’ Apple label, which released a self-titled album on her in 1970. She co-produced the LP with George Harrison. Troy worked in England throughout the early ‘70s, appearing at Ronnie Scott’s club. She released a live album, The Rainbow Testament, in 1972 and a studio LP, Stretching Out, in 1974.
Troy also got a lot of studio work. She sang on the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, and Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain.” She also lent her voice to Kevin Ayers, Edgar Broughton, Junior Campbell, Nick Drake, Johnny Hallyday, George Harrison, Humble Pie, John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Led Zeppelin, Paul & Linda McCartney, the Moody Blues, Dusty Springfield, and Vivian Stanshall (among others). She returned to the U.S. in 1973, worked in Las Vegas with Lola Falana, and cut a single for Midland Records in 1977.
In 1983, Mama, I Want to Sing, a stage musical based on Troy’s life, opened at the Heckscher Theater in New York’s Spanish Harlem. She co-wrote the musical with her sister, Vy Higgensen, and played her own mother, Geraldine. It ran for 1,500 performances. In 2012, Mama, I Want to Sing was made into a straight-to-DVD movie.
Doris Troy, 67, died of emphysema at her home in Las Vegas on February 16, 2004. “Just One Look” has been covered by acts like the Hollies, Faith Hope & Charity, Major Lance, Linda Ronstadt, Bryan Ferry, Anne Murray, Klaus Nomi, and Harry Nilsson (in a duet with Linda Ronstadt). It was also used in commercials for Pepsi, Hyundai, and Mazda, and appeared in the 1990 Cher movie, Mermaids.
Charted singles:
“Just One Look” (1963) R&B #3, Pop #10
“What’cha Gonna Do About It” (1963) R&B #21, Pop #102
“Tomorrow Is Another Day” (1963) Pop #118
“Please Little Angel” (1964) Pop #128
