Elkie Brooks

Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder on 25 February 1945, Broughton, Salford, England) is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. A professional singer since she was fifteen, Brooks' début, a cover of Etta James's "Something's Got A Hold On Me", was released on Decca in 1964. Later she became the vocalist with a British 12-piece Stax-influenced, jazz-rock fusion band called Dada that released one, eponymous, album in 1970. Brooks, along with guitarist Pete Gage, singer Robert Palmer and bassist Steve York formed Vinegar Joe in 1971, adding keyboard player Dave Thompson. The band was without a drummer; Conrad Isidore and Rob Tait drummed on the first album, released in 1972. In 1974, after three albums Vinegar Joe split and Brooks went solo. After a time in the US as backing singer with the American southern boogie band Wet Willie, she returned to England. Her first solo album on A&M records was Rich Man's Woman (1975).