• June 29, 1943 - April 10, 2003
• Her full name was Eva Narcissus Boyd; she was the tenth of 16 children. She was born in Belhaven, North Carolina but moved to Brighton Beach, New York at a young age. As a teenager, she worked as a maid and earned extra money as a babysitter of Louise Goffin (the daughter of songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin).
• Eva was named after her aunt. As a result, her aunt became "Big Eva" and she became "Little Eva."
• Before her success as a solo artist (and with the connections of King and Goffin), she worked as a backup singer for various artists and as a stand-in for a girl group called The Cookies.
• The song "He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)" was inspired by what happened to Eva when she spent a weekend with her boyfriend. When that weekend ended, she came to see King and Goffin, who noticed various bruises on her body.
• One day, King and Goffin were working on a song for Dee Dee Sharp when Eva began doing a unique dance. Her dancing was the inspiration for the lyrics "Everybody's doin' a brand new dance now (Come on, baby! Do the Loco-Motion)." Thus, the song "The Loco-Motion" was born. King and Goffin had her record the song as a demo and they sent it to Don Kirshner who was impressed by the song (and Eva's voice) and had it released just the way it was recorded.
• Although Little Eva had become of age just after beginning her professional singing career, she looked very young for her age, having a height that was less than five feet. In order to make her appealing to audiences under 18, her producers decided that her professional name would be "Little Eva" (which was something her family had called her beforehand) and they told different parts of the media that she was two years younger than she really was. This is a reason why some sources say that she was born in 1945.
• After the success of "The Loco-Motion," Eva was unfortunately stereotyped as a dance-craze singer and was given limited material. She continued recording and performing throughout the sixties, but her commercial potential plummeted after 1964. She retired from the music business in 1971.
• In 1988, it was Kylie Minogue's cover of "Loco-Motion" which helped the public regain interest in Little Eva and led to her comeback in show business. She soon began performing live on the cabaret and oldies circuits and occasionally recorded new material. She continued working until October of 2001 when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She succumbed to the disease two years later. She was survived by two daughters, two sons, 15 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, two brothers, and three sisters. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Jerro - New Alexandria, PA, for all above
• Eva has 2 daughters - Josette and Doretha, and 3 sons: Darius, Cain and one who preceded her in death. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Crystal - New Bern, NC

Comments

More Songfacts:

5-1-5-0Dierks Bentley

When it topped the chart in 2012, Dierks Bentley's "5-1-5-0" became the first #1 Country hit with a title that's all numbers.

Walkin' On The SunSmash Mouth

You wouldn't know it from the upbeat melody, but "Walkin' On The Sun" by Smash Mouth is about the 1992 Los Angeles Riots.

Come Out And PlayThe Offspring

The line, "Gotta keep 'em separated" in "Come Out And Play" by The Offspring came to lead singer Dexter Holland when he was a medical student and needed to keep bacteria samples away from each other.

BeautifulChristina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera did her "Beautiful" vocal in one take; the opening line, "Don't look at me," is something she said to her friend in the studio who was there to offer support.

Poker FaceLady Gaga

Lady Gaga says that "Poker Face" is about her personal experience with bisexuality; being with a man but thinking about a woman.

Justify My LoveMadonna

Madonna's "Justify My Love" was co-written by Lenny Kravitz.

Editor's Picks

Top American Idol Moments: Songs And ScandalsSong Writing

Surprise exits, a catfight and some very memorable performances make our list of the most memorable Idol moments.

Mike Scott of The WaterboysSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Whole Of The Moon" and "Red Army Blues," and why rock music has "outlived its era of innovation."

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."

Lip-Synch RebelsSong Writing

What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."

Michael BoltonSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for this talk with Bolton from the '80s when he was a focused on writing songs for other artists.

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete BlondeSongwriter Interviews

The singer/bassist for Concrete Blonde talks about how her songs come from clairvoyance, and takes us through the making of their hit "Joey."