Marlena Shaw, the jazz and R&B vocalist whose “California Soul” was one of the defining soul songs of the late 1960s, has died. “It’s with a very heavy heart for myself and my family I announce that our beloved mother, your beloved icon and artist Marlena Shaw has passed away today at 12:03,” Bradshaw said in the video. Shaw, a charismatic and wide-ranging vocalist, was best known for 1969's “California Soul,” which has endured as a widely popular and often sampled song. Shaw, who had five children, toured for more than 50 years and put out 17 albums across eight different labels. “We are saddened by the passing of Marlena Shaw, a wonderful singer whose ‘California Soul’ is as popular today as it ever was and whose album ‘It Is Love: Recorded Live At Vine St.’ helped relaunch the Verve label in 1987.”

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Persons: Marlena Shaw, ”, Shaw’s, Marla Bradshaw, ” Bradshaw, " Shaw, Gang Starr, Diplo, Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson, ” Ashford, Shaw, Marvin Gaye, Marlina Burgess, “, ’ Organizations: Facebook, Motown, Chess Records, ’, Verve, St Locations: New Rochelle , New York