April 16 - Dusty Springfield

The singer known as Dusty Springfield was born on April 16, 1939, in North London, England. Born Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien into a music-loving Catholic family, she was a tomboy who loved to sing and acquired the nickname "Dusty" by playing football (soccer) with boys in the street. In 1960 she formed a pop-folk vocal trio, The Springfields, with her brother. Then in 1963 her solo recording "I Only Want to Be with You" landed her on the music charts in the UK and the United States, where she was the second artist of the “British Invasion,” after the Beatles, to have a major hit. More followed with "Wishin' and Hopin'" (1964), "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (1964), "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" (1966) and her quintessential song, "Son of a Preacher Man" (1968). Her album “Dusty in Memphis” (1969) shimmers with lyrical nuance in songs like “I Don’t Want to Hear It Anymore” (written by Randy Newman) and “No Easy Way Down” (Carole King), two of the saddest songs she committed to vinyl.