Yvonne Fair

Flora Yvonne Fair Strain (21 October 1942 – 6 March 1994; Richmond, Virginia), professionally known as Yvonne Fair, was an American soul and funk vocalist who earned a reputation as an intensely passionate, gritty performer.

Emerging through some of the most competitive R&B circuits of the mid-twentieth century, she transitioned from a vocal group member to a commanding solo presence on the Motown Records roster.

Best remembered for her fiery, show-stopping interpretations of rhythm and blues numbers, she secured an enduring international legacy through her mid-1970s chart successes, leaving behind a highly influential body of work that continues to be celebrated and sampled within modern popular music.

Early Life

Born Flora Yvonne Coleman, she spent her formative childhood years in the Bronx, New York, where she developed an early passion for music and idolised the pioneering blues and soul singer Etta James. Preferring her middle name, she abandoned her high school education in the eleventh grade to marry her first husband, Leroy Fair. Although their marriage would ultimately prove short-lived, she retained his surname for the remainder of her professional career.

Her early musical foundations were consolidated in 1961 when, at the recommendation of her husband, she successfully joined the acclaimed Bronx-based vocal group The Chantels during their tenure with Carlton Records, gaining her first critical exposure to the mainstream recording industry.

Career

Her professional timeline progressed significantly when she left The Chantels to join the James Brown Revue, recording a series of singles for King Records between 1962 and 1966. Among these early studio releases was "I Found You", a track that Brown later famously reworked into his global breakout smash hit "I Got You (I Feel Good)".

After signing a solo recording contract with Motown Records in 1968 through the introduction of Chuck Jackson, she expanded her portfolio into cinema and television soundtracks, notably appearing in the 1972 biographical film Lady Sings the Blues.

Her mainstream commercial peak arrived with the release of the 1975 Norman Whitfield-produced album The Bitch Is Black, which featured several R&B charting tracks and her definitive signature hit, a powerful cover version of "It Should Have Been Me". The single achieved immense international crossover success, climbing to number 5 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1976, while also entering the US Billboard Hot 100 and reaching number 10 in Australia.

Following her peak Motown era, she transitioned into independent performance circuits, continuing to sing in small clubs and bars around Los Angeles during the 1980s before retiring from active recording.

Personal Life

Her personal life featured notable music industry ties, beginning with her early marriage to Leroy Fair and a subsequent relationship with soul icon James Brown, with whom she shared a daughter, Venisha Brown, alongside her son Leroy Fair Jr. from her first marriage.

She later married singer Sammy Strain, a prominent member of Little Anthony and the Imperials and The O'Jays, who achieved rare distinction as a double Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.

Beyond her family life, her lasting legacy is defined by her profound technical and stylistic influence on contemporary popular music, with her raw vocal delivery revered by soul collectors and frequently sampled by modern hip-hop and R&B artists. She also engaged in community work and supported fellow performers, spending several years working as a wardrobe coordinator and personal assistant to Dionne Warwick.

She passed away from pancreatic cancer at the age of 51 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 6 March 1994.

Current Activities

Posthumously, her compact musical catalogue continues to experience official archive restorations and renewed attention across international music circles. Her historic recordings have found a sustained second life within the British Northern soul scene, whilst her signature track has been introduced to new generations via television, including features in the 1991 movie Mr. Roadrunner and a festive special of the BBC comedy series The Vicar of Dibley.

Demonstrating her enduring digital presence, rare archival tracks and independent versions continue to surface on digital streaming platforms, highlighted by a comprehensive online presence detailed on AllMusic and the 2024 digital release of "Straighten Up (Loko Velocet Remix)".