Sugar Pie DeSanto

Born to an African-American mother and a Filipino father on October 16, 1935, in Brooklyn, New York, Sugar Pie DeSanto is a veteran blues and R&B singer and songwriter. Sister of [a=Domingo Balinton], Sugar Pie grew up in San Francisco, California. Among her childhood friends was a girl named [a=Jamesetta Hawkins], who would later become famous as [a=Etta James]. They were childhood friends who eventually explored the music world together.

In the 1950s and 1960s, she toured with both [a=Johnny Otis] and [a=James Brown], collaborated with [a=Etta James], married [a=Alvin Parham], (a.k.a. [a=Pee Wee Kingsley]), and changed her name to [a=Peylia Parham]. After their divorce from Parham, she moved to Chicago, where she kept on recording successfully and writing songs for other artists, often along with [a=Shena DeMell].

She was given a Bay Area Music Award in 1999 for Best Female Blues Singer. In September 2008, she was given a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. She received a lifetime achievement award from the Goldie Awards in November 2009.