Rita Coolidge
生於1944年五月一日, 美國田納西州 Tennessee, Lafayett, 母親任職小學教師, 父職教會牧師。家族源自蘇格蘭和北美州 Cherokee 切諾基印第安人血統, 天生一頭黑髮和修長的身型; 一家人均熱衷歌唱, 父母和妹妹 Priscilla, Linda 弟弟 Raymond 全是天賦的歌手。在學期間和两個妹妺組成歌唱組合"The Coolidge Sisters"参予不同表演。
十五歲時, 舉家遷移至 Florida 佛羅里達州, 入讀 Florida State University 主修藝術。畢業後她跑回 Tennessee 田納西州, 任職 Memphis 曼菲斯市電台廣告歌曲錄音工作, 被電台賞識而獲得個人首張細唱片錄音, 由 Donna Weiss (日後的歌曲: "Bette Davis Eyes" 作詞人) 為她撰寫的愛情歌曲 "Turn Around and Love You"; 此曲衹在一些地域受歡迎, 卻未能廣及全美國。
TURN AROUND AND LOVE YOU - Rita Coolidge 1969
Written by: Donna Weiss
Never in my life before
Have I ever cried
The way I've cried for you
Because you abuse me
To amuse your friends
And you use me
That's where your story ends
And I turn around
And love you, baby
Never in my wildest dreams
Even when I made believe
I knew I'd never own you
No, I've never really known you
But I turn around
And I love you, baby
And even though I can
Never really know for sure
What's in your heart
I'm gonna hold on
Knowing that you're
The hurting kind
And if the day ever comes
When you say you're
Gonna leave me
I would lose my mind
Every day and every little way
Everything I do or say
I do for you
But you abuse me
To amuse your friends
And you use me
That's where your story ends
And I turn around
And love you, baby
I turn around and love you
Oh, yeah
I'm always thinking of you
Oh, yeah
I turn around and love you
Oh, yeah
I'm always thinking of you
NEXT .... RITA COOLIDGE - 2 : "Superstar"