Little Eva American pop singer Date of Birth: 29.06.1943 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Career
2. Break Out Hit: "The Loco-Motion"
3. Follow-Up Successes and Stereotype
4. Later Career and Struggles
5. Comeback and Legacy

Early Life and Career

Eva Narcissus Boyd, known as Little Eva, was born on June 29, 1943, in Belhaven, North Carolina. She adopted her stage name from the character "Little Eva" in the novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin." At a young age, Eva moved to the Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn, New York. As a teenager, she worked as a maid and babysitter for Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

Break Out Hit: "The Loco-Motion"

It is often claimed that Boyd entertained Goffin and King with her quirky dance moves, inspiring them to write "The Loco-Motion" for her as a demo. The song reached music producer Don Kirshner of Dimension Records, who was impressed by Boyd's performance and decided to release it. "The Loco-Motion" became a number-one hit in the United States in 1962, selling millions of copies and earning gold status.

Follow-Up Successes and Stereotype

Carole and Gerry also wrote the song "He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)" for the vocal group The Crystals after Boyd confided in them about her abusive boyfriend. After the success of "The Loco-Motion," Boyd became typecast as a novelty singer with a hopping dance move, limiting her future musical opportunities. Her other notable singles include "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby," "Some Kinda Wonderful," "Let's Turkey Trot," and a remake of Bing Crosby's "Swinging On A Star" with Big Dee Irwin.

Later Career and Struggles

Although Eva released a few more songs, including "Makin' With the Magilla" for an episode of "The Magilla Gorilla Show," her commercial success faded after 1964. She left the music industry in 1971, never having owned the rights to her songs. Despite rumors in the 1970s that she had only been paid $50 for "The Loco-Motion," Boyd had received weekly payments of $50 for her recording work, in addition to $15 for babysitting Carole and Gerry. Penniless, she sent her three young children to South Carolina to live in obscurity and poverty.

Comeback and Legacy

In the late 1980s, following the success of Kylie Minogue's cover of "The Loco-Motion," Boyd made a comeback to the music industry. She performed live with various artists of her era and occasionally recorded new songs. Little Eva continued to sing until she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in October 2001. Eighteen months later, on April 10, 2003, she died in Kinston, North Carolina, at the age of 59. She was buried in a small cemetery in Belhaven, North Carolina.