'California Soul' singer Marlena Shaw has died, aged 81

Marlena Shaw, the frequently sampled jazz and R&B singer known for her 1969 hit 'California Soul,' dies at 81.

Marla Bradshaw, Shaw’s daughter, confirmed the singer’s death in a Facebook video last Friday, providing no cause of death.

“It’s with a very heavy heart for myself and my family I announce that our beloved mother, your beloved icon and artist Marlena Shaw has passed away today,” Bradshaw said in the video. “She went very peacefully, and she went listening to some of her favourite songs.”

Finding stardom in the 1960s, Shaw’s music is still heard today, sampled by hip hop artists like Drake, Gang Starr, DJ Shadow and Ghostface Killah.

Born Marlina Burgess in New York on 22 September 1942, Shaw spent the early years of her career performing in jazz clubs before signing with Chess Records in the 1960s.

Shaw released her first two albums, 1967’s Out of Different Bags and 1969’s The Spice of Life, with Chess before leaving for Blue Note in 1972.

Having released 17 studio albums over the span of over 50 years, Shaw’s voice and music will be remembered by many.