Song:Put A Little Love In Your Heart
Album:What The World Needs Now Is...Jackie DeShannon: The Definitive Collection
Jackie DeShannon is best known for two hit singles; What The World Needs Now Is Love and Put A Little Love In Your Heart. But she has had a long career as a songwriter and won a Grammy for the Kim Carnes hit Bette Davis Eyes. She was born Sharon Lee Myers Aug. 21, 1941 in Hazel, KY. As a child, she performed on local radio. Her family moved and Sharon went to high school in Batavia, IL. She hosted her own local radio show. In 1957 she signed with George Goldner's Gone label and recorded as Jackie Dee. Though her single was not a hit, she got the attention of Eddie Cochran and he introduced her to his girlfriend Sharon Sheeley. Jackie and Sharon wrote several songs together including Dum Dum for Brenda Lee. When Jackie signed with Liberty Records in 1960, she decided to call herself Jackie Dee Shannon which became Jackie DeShannon. Though she charted with her cover of Needles and Pins and her own song When You Walk In The Room, her early 60s recordings were mostly flops. Meanwhile, she dated Elvis Presley and appeared in the film Surf Party. Jackie opened for The Beatles' first US tour in 1964. Her song Don't Doubt Yourself Babe was recorded by The Byrds and she moved to England and wrote songs with Jimmy Page. They wrote the Marianne Faithful hit Come And Stay With Me. Jackie moved to New York to work with Randy Newman. Her recording of the Burt Bacharach and Hal David song What The World Needs Now is Love reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965. She also appeared in the 1967 film C'mon Let's Live a Little. She finally had another hit when Put A Little Love In Your Heart reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969. Jackie wrote the song with her brother Randy Myers and soul singer songwriter Jimmy Holiday. Holiday had a top ten R & B hit in 1963 with How Can I Forget and he co-wrote the Aretha Franklin hit Baby I Love You. Put A Little Love In Your Heart was a hit for Al Green and Annie Lennox in 1989. Both of Jackie's big hits are on this budget comp. She left Liberty for Atlantic in 1970. Jackie never had another hit but her songs were hits for others. Jackie wrote Bette Davis Eyes with Donna Weiss and recorded it in 1974. It became a monster hit when Kim Carnes recorded it in 1981. Jackie won the Song of the Year Grammy. When You Walk In the Room by Pam Tillis topped the country charts in 1994. So Jackie DeShannon's songs still surface occasionally. She currently appears on Breakfast With The Beatles broadcasts on Sirius XM Satellite Radio talking about touring with them. She has been married to film composer Randy Edelman since 1977. So there is much more to Jackie DeShannon than two hit singles. Songwriting talent sure goes a long way. Here's Jackie DeShannon performing Put A Little Love In Your Heart 1969.
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