Jean Knight's rise to fame with Mr, Big Stuff

When songs become hits, the artist get a lot of attention. They sing on television and sometimes go on tour. The record is played on local stations, at dances and parties. This seems like it is a win win for everyone. The pathway to such success, however, is often difficult as can be noted on television shows such as Behind the Music, and Unsung. Fans often have no idea what their favorite recording artists went through in order to bring forth that popular song. Such was the case with singer Jean Knight. She was born Jean Caliste, in New Orleans on January 26, 1943. This R&B, soul and funk singer, is best known for her 1971 hit single, "Mr. Big Stuff". The record quickly went to number 8 on the R&B charts and number 60 on Billboard's top 200. It received lots or radio play and was featured on Soul Train and American Bandstand.

The road that led to this hit song began after Jean Caliste graduated from high school. She was singing at her cousin's bar that was called 'Laura's Place" and caught the attention of a number of different bands who made it known that they were willing to accompany her. Jean recorded a demo of a of Jackie Wilson's song "Stop Doggin' Me Around in 1965. Record producer Huey Meaux, heard the demo and signed Caliste to a recording contract on the labels Jet Star/Tribe. Not long after this the artist decide her last name was too difficult to pronounce and began calling herself Jean Knight.

The singer made a name for herself locally after recording four singles, but desired so much more. When her career did not take off as she desired, Jean left the music business and went to work in a New Orleans bakery. She was discovered in 1970 by songwriter Ralph Williams who through his connections, Jean Knight met record producer Wardell Quezergue. This led to her recording Mr. Bigstuff in May of 1971 at Malaco Studio's in Jackson, Mississippi. Once the recording session was over the song was presented to producers from a variety of national labels, but every single one of them rejected Mr. Big Stuff. If you are a fan of this hit, you are probably wondering what on earth those producers were thinking.

King Floyd who also recorded at Malaco Studio's had a hit in early 1971 with "Groove Me." Once this song made it big, a producer at Stax Records recalled Jean Knight's recording and released Mr. Big Stuff. The song was an instant hit going all the way to #2 on the pop chart and becoming #1 on the R&B chart. Knight performed her hit on Soul Train and it became a favorite for the dancers. It went on to become double-platinum and received a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Knight lost, however, to Aretha Franklin's remake of "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Jean Knight had a few more modest hits but disagreements with her producers at Stax led to her contract being terminated.

Once she left Stax, Knight recorded for a number of small labels, but she was not able to gain the recognition she desired. She began touring and performing on the local oldies circuits, until 1981. This is when she met local producer Isaac Bolden. He signed her to his label, Soulin and together, they produced a song entitled "You Got the Papers but I Got the Man." This was an answer song to the record "She's Got Papers On Me" by Richard Dimples Fields. Knight soon found herself touring again on a regular basis. The singer remade the novelty hit, "My Toot Toot," in 1985 and found herself in a cover battle with Denise LaSalle, whose version was a big hit in the United Kingdom.

While LaSalle's version reached the top ten in the United Kingdom, Jean Knight found more successful in the United States, and her version went to #50 on the pop chart. The song climbed to number 3 in South Africa. Knight also performed the "My Toot Toot" on the hit variety show Solid Gold. Her song Do Me became part of the soundtrack for Super Bad in 2007. Jean Knight continues to tour, often with Gloria Gaynor and she was indicted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in October 2007. Although she is not a one hit wonder, her name will always be synonymous with her 1971 smash Mr. Big Stuff, which enjoys airplay on radio stations even today close to 50 years later.