Doris Troy, best known for the 1963 Atlantic R&B/pop crossover hit “Just One Look,” died Monday in Las Vegas. The 67-year-old singer/songwriter had suffered from emphysema.
Born Doris Payne in Harlem, N.Y., Troy did not restrict herself to R&B. Her distinctive vocals graced the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” and Dusty Springfield’s “In the Middle of Nowhere,” among other classics. During her career, Troy recorded for the Calla, Capitol and Apple labels. On a British tour in 1965, her backing band including Reginald Dwight (who became Sir Elton John).
Also a talented actress, Troy was the inspiration for the award-winning black gospel musical “Mama, I Want to Sing.” She played her own mother in the long-running play, which was co-written by her sister, Vy Higgensen, an air personality for WBLS in New York.
Funeral services are pending; a memorial service is planned for March in New York.