By stephanie (64.63.221.10) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 01:19 pm:

From The Charlotte Observer:

'Little Eva,' singer of "The Loco-motion, dies in Kinston
Associated Press

KINSTON, N.C. - Eva Narcissus Boyd, a teenager known as Little Eva
when her first recording, "The Loco-motion," hit No. 1 in 1962, died
Thursday after a long illness, her manager said.

The cause of death wasn't immediately available.

Boyd, a native of Belhaven, died at Lenoir Hospital in Kinston,
manager Gary Cape said in a statement. Her age isn't immediately
known, though various sources place her year of birth between 1943
and 1946.

Boyd was discovered by Carole King and Gerry Goffin after they hired
her as a babysitter. They asked her to sing a demo of "The Loco-
Motion," which they had written together.

They decided after hearing the demo to release it as a single.

Eva also had the Top 20 songs "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby"
and "Let's Turkey Trot."

Boyd is survived by daughters Josetta Hines and Dorethea Dobson; son,
Darius Harris, 15 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren; two
brothers and three sisters.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

By Dick Gamble (216.93.77.76) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 01:24 pm:

Sad news to hear today,our prayers now go out to her family.

Rest in Peace Eva...

By stephanie (64.63.221.10) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 01:31 pm:

I feel so bad because I was just listening to her yesterday on my Best of Little Eva CD and I was watching the girl groups tape.....so sad to hear.
Stephanie

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 01:58 pm:

This just in from Billboard magazine...
http://billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1863950

Rest in peace, Eva. The heavens are having one hell of a dance party...

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.80) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 02:02 pm:

Little Eva R.I.P,
you are now taking that step in the right direction.
mel.

By Michael/Cleoharvey (160.79.83.208) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 02:03 pm:

I can remember when Locomotion came out how much of a blast it was to dance to. She had a sweet disarming personality in interviews and on stage, nothing pretentious. We have lost another one to that angelic chorus.

By Randy Russi (169.139.180.100) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 02:11 pm:

I knew Eva quite well, though hadn't seen her for
the past few years. There was even an interview
I did with her published in Discoveries. I know
she was battling cancer over the past several
years. She was a sweet person.

By TonyRussi (68.210.2.125) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 03:05 pm:

I am heartbroken after my brother called me.I always loved Little Eva, her records & B-sides.The last time I saw her she did her songs just like the records...her vocals were impressive."Locomotion" has to be one of the best POP records ever.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.9) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 03:20 pm:

There's never been a dance that's so easy to do
It even makes you happy when you're feeling blue

By Sly fan (67.115.75.26) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 03:36 pm:

May her soul rest...


One of the greatest dance songs of all time!!

By BankHouseDave (195.93.50.9) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 03:38 pm:

Goodbye Little Eva. How much of our lives, how many good times, were lived out to your records?

By Scratcher (65.132.77.148) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 03:39 pm:

Randy Russi aren't you the guy who did that great Dee Dee Sharp interview for Discoveries?

By Karyl (207.69.116.87) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 04:54 pm:

I'm so sad to read the news about Little Eva. I played her 45s so much in my teens, I feel like I have just lost a friend.

I really liked Loco-Motion's B side HE IS THE BOY very much!

God Bless You Little Eva....

By TonyRussi (68.210.2.125) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 05:11 pm:

Yes Scratcher my brother Randy did alot of great interviews for Discoveries and I think some for Goldmine.He's probably bogged down in traffic right now. Karyl, all of Evas' Dimension recordings had good B-sides...you can also hear Little Evas' voice very clear on "Chains"by the Cookies(they did her backgrounds too).

By Karyl (207.69.116.87) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 05:17 pm:

Thanks Tony, I had forgotten that! I'm listening to CHAINS now!

By LG Nilsson (213.89.29.157) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 05:32 pm:

Little Eva's Dimension 45's

1000 Little Eva - The Loco Motion/He Is The Boy
1003 Little Eva - Keeps Your Hands Off My Baby/Where Do I Go
1006 Little Eva - Let's Turkey Trot/Down Home
1010 Big Dee Irwin & Little Eva - Swinging On A Star/Another Night With The Boys
1011 Little Eva - Old Smoky Locomotion/Just A Little Girl
1013 Little Eva - What I Gotta Do (To Make You Jealous)/The Trouble With Boys
1019 Little Eva - Let's Start The Party Again/Please Hurt Me
1021 Big Dee Irwin & Little Eva - The Christmas Song/I Wish You Had A Merry Christmas
1035 Little Eva - Makin' With The Magilla/Run To Her
1042 Little Eva - Wake Up John/Takin Back What I Said

All her Dimension recordings are released on the great compilation on CD: Little Eva - The Complete Dimension Recordings Westside WESM 512

# Song Name
1 Loco-Motion (Little Eva) (2:28)
2 He Is the Boy (Little Eva) (3:00)
3 Some Kinda Wonderful (Little Eva) (2:38)
4 I Have a Love (Little Eva) (2:25)
5 Down Home (Little Eva) (3:02)
6 Breaking up Is Hard to Do (Little Eva) (2:15)
7 Run to Her (Little Eva) (2:15)
8 Uptown (Little Eva) (2:26)
9 Where Do I Go? (Little Eva) (2:12)
10 Up on the Roof (Little Eva) (2:54)
11 Sharing You (Little Eva) (1:56)
12 Will You Love Me Tomorrow? (Little Eva) (2:53)
13 Keep Your Hands off My Baby (Little Eva) (2:32)
14 Let's Turkey Trot (Little Eva) (2:30)
15 Swinging on a Star (Big Dee Irwin & Little Eva) (2:38)
16 Old Smokey Loco-Motion (Little Eva) (2:33)
17 Just a Little Girl (Little Eva) (2:57)
18 Trouble With Boys (Little Eva) (2:33)
19 What I Gotta Do (To Make You Jealous) (Little Eva) (1:59)
20 Let's Start the Party Again (Little Eva) (2:48)
21 Please Hurt Me (Little Eva) (2:47)
22 Christmas Song (Big Dee Irwin & Little Eva) (3:02)
23 I Wish You a Merry Christmas (Big Dee Irwin & Little Eva) (2:27)
24 Makin' With the Magilla (Little Eva) (2:25)
25 Wake up John (Little Eva) (2:09)
26 Takin' Back What I Said (Little Eva) (2:39)
27 Get Him (Little Eva) (2:15)
28 Another Night With the Boys (Little Eva) (2:55)
29 Little Eva (The Locomotions) (Little Eva) (1:45)

R.I.P.

Lars

By LG Nilsson (213.89.29.157) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 05:52 pm:

Her third release, same melody as the Cleftones "Little Girl Of Mine" from 1956!



Lars

By stephanie (64.63.221.140) on Friday, April 11, 2003 - 07:51 pm:

I just found out that she had cervical cancer and that she had to stop performing in October 2001 because she became too weak from the illness.
Stephanie

By R&B (138.238.41.128) on Saturday, April 12, 2003 - 09:51 am:

R.I.P.LITTLE EVA AND THANK YOU FOR ENRICHING OUR LIVES WITH YOUR MUSIC.

By Vonnie (64.12.97.7) on Saturday, April 12, 2003 - 09:56 am:

Condolences to the family. Her music gave us much joy.

Vonnie

By Kris Peterson (68.61.31.123) on Saturday, April 12, 2003 - 06:06 pm:

I am mourning for Little Eva. I sang "Locomotion" with the first band that I ever sang with. What a loss.

Kris Peterson

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Saturday, April 12, 2003 - 06:34 pm:

Kris,
It's good to see you back.

Ralph