Etta James and Sugar Pie DeSanto: At Last, A Soulful Musical Combination

May 19, 2022

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This story is part of the May 19th Project, which promotes solidarity within Asian and Pacific Island communities and with all communities.

In the 1950s, Sugar Pie DeSanto, a Filipino Black American, and her cousin Etta James grew up in a racially mixed neighborhood of Fillmore, San Francisco, where people from all backgrounds mixed. Hear how the friendship between these two legendary singers changed the direction of R&B.

In the 1950s Sugar Pie DeSanto and Etta James grew up in a racially mixed neighborhood of San Francisco, where they created musical friendships that changed the direction of R&B.

The May 19th Project is co-founded by Renee Tajima Peña and Jeff Chang. Click this link to view a complete list of credits for the project.

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