[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 37 (Monday, February 27, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E147]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  HONORING THE EXTRAORDINARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MUSICIAN BARBARA LEWIS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN--

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 27, 2023

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a legend of R&B sound 
who hails not from a musical capital like Detroit, Chicago, or New 
York, but from a small town in Michigan's 7th district: South Lyon.
  Barbara Lewis was born into a powerful legacy, as the great-
granddaughter of Civil War veteran, John W. Lewis. She was also born 
with a musical heritage, as her bandleader father played trumpet, her 
mother and uncle played saxophone, and her aunt was a music teacher. 
Surrounded by this symphony of sound, it's no surprise that Barbara 
began playing piano, guitar, and harmonica at an early age, writing 
songs at age nine, and singing lead vocals at family jam sessions in 
her teens. While Barbara told her friends and family she had no 
intention of pursuing music as a career, a meeting with Ollie 
McLaughlin, an Ann Arbor DJ-turned-producer and manager changed all 
that, and changed the course of her life.
  Impressed by her talent and her original songs, McLaughlin signed 
Barbara on the spot. In 1962, she recorded her first two singles. One 
of them, a peppy, upbeat piece called ``My Heart Went Do Oat Da'' was, 
according to Barbara, written on her upright piano while she was 
babysitting one night while still attending South Lyon High School.
  Lewis holds the distinction of being the first Michigan artist to 
record for Atlantic Records, and in the span of her career, she went on 
to record three Top Ten R&B hits for McLaughlin's record label, 
including the number one smash, ``Hello Stranger.'' She also had 10 
songs on Billboard's Hot 100 during the 1960s, ranking her second to 
only Aretha Franklin in terms of chart success for female solo artists 
from the state of Michigan.
  Barbara recorded songs at the legendary Motown studios in Detroit and 
performed with some of the greatest R&B artists of her time. Many of 
her songs have been remade and remastered and live on today, including 
by Queen Latifah, with others featured on hit movie soundtracks 
including ``The Bridges of Madison County.''
  Barbara returned to Michigan in 1971, following stints in New York 
and Chicago, and lived many years in her home state before relocating 
to Florida. She received the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues 
Foundation in 1999, and in 2016, Barbara Lewis was inducted into the 
Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame. While health issues forced 
her to retire from singing in 2017, I ask that her legendary sound and 
contributions to the arts be forever recorded in our hearts.

                          ____________________