Career
Born Marybelle Luraine Ellison, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ellison originally sang gospel music, working in the groups the Ellison Singers and the Golden Chords in the early 1960s. She switched to the Rhythm & Blues genre in 1964. Her first chart entry was "I Dig You Baby" in 1965 on Mercury Records, which reached #22 on the United States. Billboard Rhythm & Blues chart chart.
She signed with Warner Brothers
Records, and in 1966 recorded "Stay with Maine" at a last minute booking, following a studio cancellation by Frank Sinatra. "Stay with Maine" reached number 11 in the United States. Billboard Rhythm & Blues chart and number 64 in the United States. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The song was produced and written by Jerry Ragovoy. Later releases were on the subsidiary soul music record label, Loma.
Her follow-up single was "Heart Be Still" a minor hit in 1967.
Ellison also recorded "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)", a song later covered to more success by Janis Joplin. Ellison composed many of her own songs (by herself and with manager Sam Bell) and had her own compositions recorded by several other artists, including Jerry Butler, Garnet Mimms, Howard Tate and Dee Dee Warwick. Twice-married and using the surname Gonzalez-Keys, Lorraine Ellison gave up the music business in order to take care of her mother.
Ellison died in January 1983 from ovarian cancer at the age of 51.