Ms. Claudia Lennear was one of the singers featured in the recent, and very kick ass, documentary 20 Feet From Stardom. Y'all, shamefully, I didn't know Lennear's trajectory prior to watching 20 Feet From Stardom. She began singing back up as an Ikette (the Ikettes were a revolving cast of back up singers/dancers with the Ike & Tina Turner Review) and then left Ike Turner to sing with Humble Pie, Joe Cocker, Delaney & Bonnie, Leon Russell, and basically every other group which was huge at the time. Also, it's been said she's the inspiration for the Rolling Stones "Brown Sugar" and Bowie's "Lady Grinning Soul." Luckily, last week, I happened to find a copy of her only album, Phew!!

Overall the LP sounds a lot of early '70s soulful ROCK - it's groovy, laid back, and kinda funky. Phew was produced by well known Brit producer, Ian Samwell, with all the tracks on side two written (and produced) by New Orleans' great, Allen Toussaint! However, tho' there some real good tracks, the band is cookin', and her voice, is fucking ON, the album sank. Dismayed by her lack of success, Lennear quit music to teach spanish. BTW, if you haven't seen 20 Feet From Stardom get with it TONIGHT!!!