Peggy Scott-Adams

In the late '60s, the former Peggy Scott was part of a duo with Jo Jo Benson. Their first sessions in 1968, "Lover's Holiday" and "Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries", yielded a couple quick hits. They scored their third hit in 1969 with perhaps their best track, "Soul Shake," but only managed one more minor hit, "I Want to Love You Baby," before leaving SSS International label for Atco. The duo's career fizzled a few singles in the early '70s.

Scott was out of the music business for nearly two decades until a career resurgence. She moved to California and married a Compton city commissioner in 1988. In 1990 she sang with Ray Charles on a couple tracks from his 1990 Warner Bros. album, "I'll Take Care Of You". A Charles friend and collaborator, songwriter/producer Jimmy Lewis took Peggy Scott-Adams into the studio a few years later to record an album. In mid-1996, "Help Yourself" was released on Lewis' Miss Butch label. One of the tracks, "Bill" slowly became a huge hit and interest in her quickly grew. Since than she has released a half dozen more albums and enjoys status as one of southern soul's biggest stars.

Album Discography

"Lover's Holiday: The Very Best Of" (Collectibles 1999)

*** 1/2 24 track compilation has all their hits and more.

"The Complete SSS International Recordings" (R.P.M. 2000)

**** 26 tracks- "the complete 1960s recordings" by the duo, taken from their two albums and the singles, all on the SSS International label. Yet it's missing two songs -- the 1969 non-LP singles "Every Little Bit Hurts" and "When the Blind Leads the Blind" -- that show up on another out-of-print compilation, "The Best Of Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson" (on Ichiban/Soul Classics).

"Help Yourself" (Miss Butch 1996)

***** Outstanding comeback CD by Peggy is a modern soul masterpiece. All ten tracks were written by Jimmy Lewis, including the now classic "Bill"- a song about a woman discovering her husband is cheating not with a woman...but "Bill"! Via word-of-mouth and radio requests the song grew and eventually peaked at #50 on the Billboard R & B singles chart and crossed over to #87 on the Pop chart, an extremely rare feat by a Southern soul singer these days. Other excellent, earthy songs like "Help Yourself" and "You, Her And His" helped propel the album to #9 on the R & B album charts (#72 Pop).

"Contagious" (Miss Butch 1997)

*** Similar-sounding follow up to her smash debut contains another provocative song called "Spousal Abuse" delivered in the 1st person. Once again all 10 tracks were written and produced by Jimmy Lewis. Other standouts include "Pam" & "Watcha Doin' To Me".

"Undisputed Queen" (Miss Butch 1999)

** Disappointing third album suffers from weak songs by Lewis this time around. Peggy's singing makes the disc worth it's while, thus the slower songs are to be preferred ( "Mommy's No Dummy," "That's How I Do It," and "You're Too Freaky for Me")

"Live In Alabama & More" (Miss Butch 2000)

** 1/2 Somewhat misleading title as only 3 of the 10 tracks are live (good versions of "That's How I Do It", "Burning" & "I'll Take Care Of You") while the rest of the disc is made up of remixes of past hits ("I'm Getting What I Want", "You, Her And His" & "Be Careful In The Name Of Love") and two new tracks "Sweaty Men" & "When I'm With You"). There's also two remixes of "Sweaty Men".

"Hot & Sassy" (Miss Butch 2001)

** 1/2 Better songs from Lewis this time like "Your Divorce Has Been Denied", "If I'm Still Not Married" & "She's Getting Into My Pants" all delivered in typical confident, sassy soul singin'.

"Busting Loose" (Miss Butch 2003)

*** "If You Wanna Make Me Holler Than Lick Me Up Some Dollars" is a hilarious answer song to all the "candy lickers", "lollypop men" and nibblers talking about how good they are in the sack. Peggy's got news for them: A woman needs financial security not just a good lover. "A Woman Knows How To Please Herself" gives further weight to her resolve. Despite the objectionable cheating subject matter "See You Next Weekend" is a powerful duet with Jimmy Lewis and "I'm Changing" is a moving cover (and "tribute to Johnnie Taylor"). "I've Had It With You" is more of that Peggy-don't-play persona folks love her for. This is the disc to buy after "Help Yourself".

"God Can...And Will" (Mardi Gras 2004)

N/R Her first gospel album.

"16 Hits" (Miss Butch 2004)

**** 1/2 The 15 best tracks from her Miss Butch albums from "Bill" to "See You Next Weekend" plus one new track, the huge southern soul hit "I Intend To Take Your Place"