Genya Ravan

Genya Ravan, born Genyusha Zelkowitzpào on 19 April 1940 in Łódź, Poland, emigrated to the United States in 1947 and entered the music scene as a singer. Her breakthrough came in 1962 at Brooklyn’s Lollipop Lounge, where a spontaneous performance led to a contract with Decca’s Coral Records and a chart‑topper with a cover of "Somewhere". In 1963 she formed Goldie and the Gingerbreads, signing with Atlantic’s Atco and touring with The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Kinks and Manfred Mann; the single "Can't You Hear My Heart Beat" reached number 25 on the UK Singles Chart in 1965. After a brief solo release of "Goin' Back" in 1966, she co‑founded Ten Wheel Drive in 1969, issuing three Polydor albums-Construction #1, Brief Replies, and Peculiar Friends-before departing in 1972. Ravan signed with Columbia Records, releasing a self‑titled album that year and several subsequent solo projects throughout the 1970s, including Urban Desire (1978) and And I Mean It! (1979). She performed at major venues such as Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden, appeared on national television shows, and later produced for artists like the Dead Boys and Ronnie Spector. In the 2000s her work was sampled by hip‑hop artists, and she hosted radio programs on SiriusXM. Ravan continued touring into the 2010s, culminating in a sold‑out 2013 show at New York City’s Iridium.

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