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Lillia Lavell "Lavelle" White, known by her stage name Miss La Vell, is an American Texas blues and soul blues singer and songwriter born on July 3, 1929, in Amite City, Louisiana. Raised by sharecroppers, she began writing poetry at the age of 12, which led her to songwriting and singing gospel music. At 15, White moved to Houston, Texas, where she performed in local blues clubs alongside guitarist Clarence Hollimon. Her career took off when Johnny Copeland introduced her to Don Robey, the owner of the Duke and Peacock record labels, leading to her recording under the name Miss La-Vell. Between 1958 and 1964, she recorded fourteen tracks and released several singles, including "If I Could Be with You," "Just Look at You Fool," "Stop These Teardrops," and "The Tide of Love." White co-wrote Bobby Bland's hit "Lead Me On," though her contribution was credited to Deadric Malone, a pseudonym used by Robey. Throughout the 1960s, White toured the United States and shared stages with renowned artists such as Bland, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Junior Parker, Aretha Franklin, and Jerry Butler. After moving to Chicago in 1978, she continued performing and collaborating with musicians like Junior Wells, Lonnie Brooks, and Buddy Guy before returning to Houston eight years later. White was later honored as Houston's
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