Katherine Anderson

Katherine Anderson
Anderson in 1963
Born
Katherine Elaine Anderson

(1944-01-16)January 16, 1944
Inkster, Michigan, U.S.
DiedSeptember 20, 2023(2023-09-20) (aged 79)
Dearborn, Michigan, U.S.
OccupationSinger
Known forMember of the Marvelettes
Spouse
Joe Schaffner
​
​
(m. 1965, divorced)​

Katherine Elaine Anderson Schaffner (January 16, 1944 – September 20, 2023) was an American singer best known as a member of the Marvelettes.

Biography

Anderson was born in Inkster, Michigan, United States, and was raised in a housing project built by Henry Ford.[1] She was one of four children born to Robert, a cement finisher, and Florence Anderson, a nurse's aide.[2][1] While Anderson was not able to afford records growing up, she performed in gospel groups and the high school glee club.[1] Early in life she planned to become a legal secretary.[2]

Anderson co-founded the Marvelettes, originally called the Casinyets, in 1960 with four fellow students at Inkster High School to enter a competition that could lead to an audition with Motown Records.[1] Although they did not win the competition, a teacher convinced Motown to give the group an audition.[1] The audition was successful and in August 1961 they released "Please Mr Postman" on the label which was at the top of the charts six months later.[1] Throughout the 1960s, the Marvelettes recorded a number of other chart topping single including "Playboy", "Beachwood 45789", "Don’t Mess with Bill", and "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game".[1]

Following Motown's move from Detroit to Los Angeles, Anderson ceased her involvement with the record label.[1] Anderson moved to Las Vegas with her husband Joe Schaffner, who had previously managed the Temptations, who was studying lighting at the University of Nevada.[1] Anderson co-wrote Gladys Knight & the Pips' hit "I Don't Want to Do Wrong".[3]

Anderson later returned to Inkster and worked with troubled teens in Detroit.[1] She received her high school diploma at age 52, something touring had prevented her from doing in her youth.[1] In 2005, Anderson wrote a musical based on her life story called Now That I Can Dance 1962.[1]

She died in September 2023 at the age of 79 of heart failure. This leaves Juanita Cowart Motley as the only surviving original member of The Marvelettes.[4][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Katherine Anderson, singer with the Marvelettes, who sold a million copies of Please Mr Postman – obituary". The Telegraph. October 5, 2023. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Williams, Richard (October 9, 2023). "Katherine Anderson obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  3. ^ Betts, Graham (June 2, 2014). Motown Encyclopedia. AC Publishing. ISBN 978-1-311-44154-6 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Baetens, Melody (September 22, 2023). "Original Marvelettes member Katherine Anderson Schaffner has died at age 79". The Detroit News. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  5. ^ "Katherine Anderson obituary". The Times. October 3, 2023. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved October 10, 2023.