Von Diaz: Many people know the name Etta James, but fewer know of her childhood friend whose stage name is Sugar Pie DeSanto.

Sugar Pie was a fierce performer in the 1950s and 60s, she toured with James Brown and was known as the one act he was afraid to follow.

But, in 2024 she finally got her due and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

She came to StoryCorps at the age of 86 with her long –time manager – Jim Moore. 

Sugar Pie DeSanto (SD) and Jim Moore (JM)

SD: I came upon blues when I was coming up as a young girl where I would go to my schoolmate’s house and I said, ‘What is that?’ She said, ‘It’s the blues.’ I say, ‘What is the blues?’ Cause I didn’t really know. My mother played piano, concert pianist. You know, Beethoven and all that stuff. Wasn’t no blues in my house.

And uh, the Ellis theater in San Francisco, they had a talent show every week. I said, ‘Well, I think I’m gonna try it out,’ you know. And I did. And stole the show.

[Music] :woa, Lord have mercy child we’re gonna party in this place…

And who was sitting in the audience? The famous Johnny Otis. [Laughs]

SD: And he said, ‘Well girl, you bad. You really are quite an entertainer’. He said, ‘I would like to record you.’ I said, ‘What? Record me?’

[Music] :I’m not tall like a model, I’m just so high…

I was so little. The microphone was as big as my head. [laughs] I couldn’t reach the mic, ‘cause I was too short. So they put me on a Coca-Cola boxes for me to reach the mic to record. It was funny. And that’s when Johnny said, ‘You sound great.’ He said, ‘But we can’t release it under Peylia’, my given name. He said, ‘Well, you so little, I think I’ll call you Sugar Pie.’ And that’s how I ended with the name Sugar Pie. He named me that. 

[Music] :Yes it’s fittin chile it’s fittin, and it ain’t the back that’s cut too low…

JM: Can you describe your signature move? 

SD: Back flips and splits [laughs], and hanging upside down [laughs], with my legs locked around a man. Thank you. 

JM: Yeah.

SD: They loved that. 

[Music] :I’m gonna be a party poppin’ show stoppin’ wig floppin’ witch for a night…

JM: The founder of Earth, Wind & Fire, you guys are doing a studio gig, and uh somebody made a mistake and you started cursing. He said, the words was so tough that the paint started peeling off the wall. 

SD: That was back in the day brother.

JM: [Laughs] 

[Music] :But when I get my check I just ain’t gonna give a heck… I’m gonna be a….

JM: How do you want to be remembered?

SD: That I was one hell of an entertainer. 

[Music] :I’ve a gotta that go go power, I’m gonna kick off my shoes and dance, I’ve a gotta that go go power now, I’m gonna kick off my shoes and dance… gone get up from my seat, child but I feel that beat, dance in my stocking feet ohh and I go go go go….