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Damita Jo DuBlanc, known professionally as Damita Jo, was born on 5 August 1930 in Austin, Texas, and grew up in Santa Barbara, California. She began her career as a singer, securing a two-month booking at the Oasis club in Los Angeles in 1949 through disc jockey Joe Adams, who helped her sign her first record deal with Discovery Records. This led to her first single releases in 1950: "Believe Me / Here I Am" and "Until the Real Thing Comes Along / Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere". Damita Jo joined the R&B group Red Caps in 1951 and married their leader, Steve Gibson. With the Red Caps, she recorded over 20 singles for various labels until 1960. She also signed a solo contract with RCA Victor, releasing seven singles between 1951 and 1955. In 1959, Damita Jo moved to Mercury Records, achieving her first solo success with "I'll Save the Last Dance for You" in 1960, reaching number 16 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 22 on the Hot 100. Her follow-up single "I'll Be There" peaked at number 12 on the Hot 100 and number 15 on the R&B charts in 1961. After a series of less successful singles, Damita Jo signed with Epic Records in 1965, where her most notable release was "If You Go Away", which reached number 68 on the Billboard Hot 200 and number 10 on the Adult Contemporary charts. Her final recordings were released by Ranwood Records from 1970 to 1971. Damita Jo passed away on 25 December 1998, due to complications from a respiratory illness.
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