Sugar Pie DeSanto: Fil-Am R&B legend dies at 89
Photo from sugarpiedesanto.com
LOS ANGELES – Filipino American R&B legend Sugar Pie DeSanto died on Dec. 20. She was 89 years old.
DeSanto was born on Oct. 16, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York, to a Black mother, who was a concert pianist, and a Filipino father. She grew up in San Francisco, Calif.
DeSanto, whose real name was Peylia Marsema Balinton, rose to national prominence in 1960 when her single, “I Want to Know,” reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot R&B chart.
In an Instagram post, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) paid tribute to DeSanto, describing her as a trailblazer who paved the way “for future generations of artists like H.E.R., Saweetie, Cassie and more.”
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DeSanto was discovered by R&B pioneer Johnny Otis, who gave her the stage name Sugar Pie.
During one of her performances at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater, she was spotted by James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul.” Brown recruited DeSanto to open his shows on the road, and she toured with him from 1959 to 1960.
In 1965, DeSantos recorded two historic duets with her childhood friend Etta James, “In the Basement” and “Do I Make Myself Clear.”
“In the Basement” was featured in director Norman Jewison’s 1999 film, “The Hurricane,” a biopic of wrongly imprisoned boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter starring Denzel Washington.
She received a 1999 Bay Area Music Award for Best Female Blues Singer, a 2008 Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, and a Lifetime Achievement award in 2009 from the Bay Guardian’s Goldie Awards.
DeSanto was honored in 2020 by the Arhoolie Foundation for preserving traditional music for future generations. She was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame this year.
DeSantos’ brother, Domingo Balinton, announced her passing Friday in a Facebook post, saying “my sister was one of a kind and you will never see anyone like her again.”
Learn more about Sugar Pie DeSanto and her music here.
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