Momma I want to sing—Doris Troy

Doris Troy…”She’s sung on sessions for clientele that would fill up an entire wing of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”  This article from the book “Unknown Legends of Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Richie Unterberger, says she has written songs with two ex-Beatles, Stephen Stills, Billy Preston and others.  Doris recorded on the Beatle’s Apple label.  However, for most of the public musical world Doris Troy is best known as a one-hit wonder for her 1963 Top Ten single “Just One Look!”  [one of my favorites while I was in high school- JGW]  Doris Troy (born Doris Elaine Higginsen; January 6, 1937 – February 16, 2004) was an American R&B singer and songwriter, known to her many fans as "Mama Soul"

“… there have been few other African American performers who have proved their mastery of so many styles – girl-group pop, stone cold soul, gospel, hard rock and more.”  She did sessions for Solomon Burke, Chuck Jackson and the Drifters, she was also a songwriter with Gregory Carroll under the name of Doris Payne.  The March 1963 demo issued by Atlantic that made #10.  In Britain, her “Just One Look” became a big hit for the Hollies in 1964.  The Hollies and others, including Faith, Hope & Charity, Major Lance, Linda Ronstadt, Bryan Ferry, Anne Murray, Klaus Nomi, and Harry Nilsson in a duet with Lynda Laurence covered her material, as well.   Troy's only foray into the UK Singles Chart, "Whatcha Gonna Do About It", peaked at #37 in December 1964.   As her solo career peaked, she sang back-up for the Rolling Stones, Humble Pie, Kevin Ayers, Edgar Broughton, Pink Floyd, George Harrison, Johnny Hallyday, Vivian Stanshall, Dusty Springfield, Nick Drake, Junior Campbell and Carly Simon.

Just one look caught a second look by many others…

Doris Troy's version of the song was featured in a 1991 Pepsi commercial starring Cindy Crawford, which was reaired during Super Bowl XXXV in 2001. An updated version of the ad, still featuring Cindy Crawford and Troy's version of the song aired in 2002. In 2015, Troy's version of the song was featured in an ad for Aspartame Free Diet Pepsi. The song was also used in a series of commercials for Mazda beginning in 1979 and continuing into the early 1980s. The song is also featured in a scene in the movie Crazy, Stupid Love

George Harrison, along with Ringo Starr and Stephen Stills contributed to her song writing creations.  Other collaborators included Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, Leon Russell, Billy Preston, Delaney & Bonnie, Jackie Lomax, and Klaus Voormann.  Later, her celebrity was growing with her work with many British top rock acts that was topped by her vocals on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. 

Since 1984, Doris played the starring role in the Broadway musical hit Momma I Want to Sing written by her sister, Vy Higgensen,( a participant of the West DNA Family) a top New York Disc Jockey. Mama, I Want to Sing! was also made into a motion picture, starring Ciara, Patti Labelle and Hill Harper, which was released on DVD in 2012

She was born as Doris Elaine Higginsen, in the Bronx, the daughter of a Barbadian Pentecostal minister. She later took her grandmother's name and grew up as Doris Payne. Her parents disapproved of "subversive" forms of music like rhythm & blues, so she cut her teeth singing in her father's choir. She was working as an usherette at the Apollo where she was discovered by James Brown.  She took her stage name from Helen of Troy.  Troy died from emphysema at her home in Las Vegas, Nevada, aged 67.

Most of this blog was gleaned from a book “Unknown Legends of Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Richie Unterberger, Miller Freeman Books, San Francisco, CA 94107, copyright 1998; pp. 395-398 that my son Phillip lent me because of the nice article about Doris Troy.  The article was completed with additional information from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Troy   Photo of album cover from Wikipedia.  Blog compiled by John G. West

Robert West (b. 1834), a Slave Freed During the Time of the U.S. Civil War

[NOTE: This article was submitted to me a few years ago and it apparently got lost in my email archives.  My apologies to George L. Holder (who compiled this information) for my neglect of posting this.  Thanks George for your work on this!  Robert West is the ancestor of Vy Higginsen.  John G. West]

Robert West was a slave until freed under unknown circumstances about the time of the American Civil War.  He and Aggy Minor had a daughter Mary:

Mary West, age 6; born and resides in Caroline County, VA.; last owner,  M. Young, of Caroline Co.; residence of father, Caroline Co.; age (of father?) 32; father’s last owner Henry Young of Caroline Co.; mother Aggy Minor; no age, dead; her own last owner, Henry Young, Caroline Co.; signature of father, Robert West.   [source: Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of Virginia, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands], Register of Children of Colored Persons in Caroline County, State of Virginia, whose Parents had ceased to cohabit on 27th February 1866, which the Father recognizes to be his (Fredericksburg, VA.: University of Mary Washington, date unknown,  Web Site title: Caroline County African-American Children list 1866: downloaded 26 Feb 2010 from: http://resources.umwhisp.org/freedmen/CarolineAf-AmChild2.htm, page 18, line 14.  Note: searching this document reveals six mentions of West” and none for “Clayton.”  There no mentions for 29 mentions for “Minor” including one for “Aggy” indicating possibilities for further inquiry.]

1860 census: Robert West, age 30, Male, Mulatto, (occupation not perfectly clear, appears to be a Twister, Tobacco, i.e. twisted tobacco leaves to make tobacco plugs in a manufacturing facility), born Virginia; Mary, age 28, Female, Mulatto, (appears to be a Stemmer, Tobacco i.e. removed stems from tobacco leaf in a manufacturing facility), born in Virginia; Robert, age 4/12, Male, Mulatto, born Virginia. [source: Robert West household, 1870 U. S. census, Hanover County, Virginia, population schedule, Lower Revenue District, Beaver Dam Depot post office,  enumerated 9 July 1870, page 31, lines 33-37, household 468, family 465, National Archives micro publication M593, roll 1651. Downloaded image 16 February from  Heritage Quest.] 

Summarized from a chart as of 27 Feb. 1866: Robert West, age 32, born in Caroline County, Virginia, currently residing in Caroline County, Virginia, a farm laborer by occupation.  His last owner was Henry Young, whose last place of residence was Caroline County, Virginia.  Robert’s wife is Mary Clayton, age 20, who was born in Caroline County, Virginia, currently residing in Caroline County, Virginia.  Mary’s last owner was Anne Toliver, whose last place of residence was Caroline County, Virginia.  Robert and Mary have two children, whose names are Maria, age 2 and Alex, age 1.  The date during which Robert West and Mary Clayton started cohabitating was about 1863.  [source: Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands in the Sub-District of Caroline County, Virginia, Register  of Colored Persons of Caroline County, State of Virginia, cohabiting together and [sic] husband and wife on 27th February, 1866, posted on a web site of the University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, Virginia, accessed 16 Feb 2010 from: http://departments.umw.edu/hipr/www/freedmen/CarolineAf-Ammarried1.htm, page 31.  [As of 10 Aug 13 this web link no longer works.]  Identical information except for the date they began cohabiting together, which is absent, can be found at: https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Virginia_Cohabitation_Records, click on “Caroline County, Freedmen’s Cohabitation Register “ at the Library of Virginia.  Of possible interest is that immediately above the entry for Robert West is “Robert Clayton, born King William County, Virginia, residing Caroline County, Va., employed as a farm laborer, last owner was Samuel Tolliver of Caroline County, Va., wife’s name and age, Julia Thomas, 43, born King William County, Va., living Caroline County, Va., last owner Ann Tolliver, of Caroline County, Va., children Mary 20, Catherine 9.”]

1870 census: Robert West, age 45, Male, Mulatto, Farmer, apparently able to read but not write (image not perfectly clear); Mary, 24 years old, Female, Mulatto, keeping house, cannot read or write; Maria, age 7, Female, Mulatto,; Aleck, age 5, Male, Mulatto,; Nancy, age 2, Female, Mulatto. All born Virginia. [source: 1870 census: Robert West, age 45, Male, Mulatto, Farmer, born in Virginia, apparently able to read but not write (image not perfectly clear); Mary, 24 years old, Female, Mulatto, keeping house, born in Virginia, cannot read or write; Maria, age 7, Female, Mulatto, born Virginia; Aleck, age 5, Male, Mulatto, born Virginia; Nancy, age 2, Female, Mulatto, born Virginia.]

1880 census: Lewis, Lemuel, [head of household], BM, 22, laborer; Catherine, BF, 22, wife; John BM 8/12 [eight months old],Son; Mattie, BF 2, Daughter; Clayton, Julia, BF 60, Mother in Law, Keeping House; Robert West, BM 65, Bro in Law, Laborer; Maria [?], BF 16, Niece; Alexander, BM 15, Nephew; George, BM 12, Nephew; Mary, BF 9, Niece; Ella BF 7, Niece; Emma, BF 6, Niece, Clayton, Robert, BM, 65, Father in Law, Laborer.  Each person and their parents are shown as being born in Virginia. [source: Lemuel Lewis household, 1880 census, Hanover County, Virginia, population schedule, Ashland District, enumeration district [ED] 62, supervisor’s district [SD] 3, sheet 28A-b, dwelling 279, family 282, line 49, National Archives micro publication T9, Roll 1370, page 28A, line 49, [continues on page 28B, lines 1-11].

A Special and Talented West DNA Cousin

Our DNA Cousin... 

Vy Higginsen is a remarkable woman: beautiful, charming, intelligent, talented and successful.  Her success and talent is shown through her passion with youth and gospel music through her Mama Foundation for the Arts.  She founded the not-for-profit organization in 2000 and is the driving force in its daily operations.  This foundation is dedicated to nurturing talented black youth in the arts.

Vy Higginsen is recognized as an impressive black pioneer in Harlem, New York's media elite.  She is the first black female writer, producer and director of the longest-running, Off-Broadway musical in the history of American theatre with Mama, I Want to Sing.  She is also a promoter, publisher, keynote speaker and much more!  Read her biography: http://www.vyhigginsen.com/bio.html   Her family is very talented, as well. Vy's late sister, Doris Troy, a well known R&B singer who sang the hit song "Just One Look" - her recording was used as a theme song for the Pepsi company for their national advertising.

In 2005 a Y-DNA test from her cousin James West established a link to the predominately white West Family DNA Project.  Vy and her family became the first African American family to enter this white family.  Marion West, a white cattle rancher from Poplar Bluff, Missouri invites Vy and her family to come for a visit on his ranch.  From there with Vy's promotional skills and connections, these two unlikely cousins are featured in a New York Times article, interviewed  on the Today Show by Matt Lauer.  The two appear on the NBC Nightly News, 60 Minutes and the Oprah Winfrey Show.

The DNA test was conducted by FamilyTreeDNA for the West Surname Project with James O. West matching other West males in Group # 5.  With over 350 West participants, Group #5 is the largest with 20 men.  Vy has become a big promoter of DNA testing.  Visit her DNA page:  http://www.vyhigginsen.com/dna.html