Rita Coolidge (born May 1, 1945, in Lafayette, Tennessee) is a Grammy Award-winning American singer. She is of Cherokee Native American and Scottish descent. br Coolidge began her career as a backing vocalist for artists such as Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, and Leon Russell. br br Her first single was recorded in 1968, after she was discovered by former Elvis Presley Chief Personal Aide and close friend, Marty Lacker, who started a record company, Pepper Records, for a major Memphis bartering company. Lacker produced a few records for Coolidge; one, "Turn Around And Love You", became a regional hit in Los Angeles and the West Coast. She then went on to work with Leon Russell and both became members of Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. Her performance of "Superstar" on the CockerRussell Mad Dogs and Englishmen album helped her gain attention.