Marlena Shaw Obituary – Marlena Shaw, the renowned jazz and soul singer famous for her 1969 recording of “California Soul,” has passed away at the age of 81. The sad news was confirmed by Shaw’s daughter, Marla Bradshaw, in a video posted on Facebook on Friday (Jan. 19). “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of our beloved mother, the iconic artist Marlena Shaw, today at 12:03,” she announced.
Bradshaw continued, “She passed away peacefully. We were at peace. I want to express my gratitude to all of you who recently celebrated her birthday with us. It meant a lot to our family that she was able to be here for that.” No specific cause of death has been disclosed at this time. Bradshaw also shared that her mother is now at peace and in Heaven. She revealed that Shaw passed away while listening to some of her favorite songs. Born Marlina Burgess on September 22, 1939, in New Rochelle, New York, Shaw credited her uncle Jimmy Burgess, a jazz trumpet player, for introducing her to music.
Under the stage name Marlena Shaw, she gained recognition for her rendition of “California Soul,” a song written by Ashford & Simpson. The track was released in 1969 under Cadet Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records. Shaw also released albums such as “Out of Different Bags” (1967) and “The Spice of Life” (1969), which featured the popular songs “California Soul” and “Woman of the Ghetto,” both of which have been widely sampled by various artists.
Shaw’s music has had a lasting impact, with artists like Gang Starr and Stereo MC sampling her work. In 2008, Diplo even released a remix of “California Soul.” The track has also been licensed for use in commercials for brands like Dodge, KFC, and Dockers. In a 2009 interview, Shaw expressed her appreciation for her music being sampled, saying, “I think it’s great. I really do. Number one, I love the surprise of it and like to hear what somebody else’s idea is.” She added with a laugh, “But this kinda makes me feel like I’m the sun, you know, and I shine on all kinds of things.”