Jean Knight, the voice behind the iconic hit “Mr. Big Stuff,” has died at the age of 80. The news of her passing was confirmed by TMZ and her publicist, who stated that she died of natural causes.
Knight’s career took off at JetStream Records and later flourished at Stax Records, where she produced many memorable songs. In her later years, she founded her own label, Comstar.
Her family released a statement highlighting not only her storied musical journey but also the deep connection she had with her hometown of New Orleans and her fans worldwide. The family has requested privacy during this time of mourning.
“Mr. Big Stuff,” released in 1971, remains Knight’s most significant contribution to music. The song held the top spot on the Billboard Soul Singles chart for five weeks and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. It also found its way into various films and TV shows, including “Family Guy,” “black-ish,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Everwood,” and “The Deuce,” and featured in Will Ferrell’s movie “Semi-Pro.”
The track has been remixed and sampled by a host of artists, such as Heavy D & The Boyz, Eazy-E, TLC, Queen Latifah, Everclear, Girl Talk, Beastie Boys, and John Legend. It has also been covered by artists like Precious Metal and Lyn Collins.
Though she never replicated the success of “Mr. Big Stuff,” Jean Knight recorded other notable songs throughout her career, including “My Toot Toot,” “You Think You’re Hot Stuff,” “Carry On,” “Helping Man,” “Do Me,” and “Jesse Joe (You Got to Go).”
