Had 19 R&B hits between 1955 and 1965, including "Tweedle Dee", "Bop-Ting-a-Ling", "Play It Fair", "Still", "Jim Dandy", "Jim Dandy Got Married", "I Cried a Tear", "I Waited Too Long", "Saved" and "See See Rider".
Became the second woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1991).
Following her sudden death, she was interred in an unmarked grave at Maple Grove Cemetery in Queens, New York City. Local historians raised funds for a headstone, which was erected on May 4, 2008.
Inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2020.