- Has five children.
- Holds a Doctorate of Divinity degree.
- First female vocalist signed by Berry Gordy's Motown's Tamla label. Martha Reeves and the Vandelas and The Supremes have worked as background singers for her.
- In 1963 she left Motown Records and was running a record company for Four Brothers and Bright Star.
- Brother is the legendary singer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, William 'Little Willie' John.
- Eldest of ten children.
- Began her professional singing career by substituting for R&B singer Etta James as the opening act for 'Little Willie' John's show when he came to Detroit.
- First female artist on Tamla Records.
- Served as the musical director of Ray Charles' the Raelettes. She co-wrote 52 songs with Charles.
- In 1956 she worked as a secretary at the Friendship Mutual Insurance Company where her supervisor was Bertha Gordy, mother of the Motown music founder Berry Gordy.
- In 1965 Al Bell, who she knew from his disc jockey days at WVOL in Memphis, and was now the president of Stax Records convinced her to sign to his label.
- Co-wrote three spiritual novels with David Ritz: Sanctified Blues, Stay Out of the Kitchen, and Love Tornado.
- In 1994 she was awarded the Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
- Earned her doctorate in divinity from the Crenshaw Christian Center in 1993.
- Oversaw her Meda Records label, for which she wrote, recorded, and marketed her own music, and that of a small roster of Christian artists.
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