Rosetta Hightower

Leading the Orlons as principal vocalist, Rosetta Hightower powered a run of girl group soul successes in the early 1960s that included “The Wah-Watusi,” “Don't Hang Up,” “South Street,” and “Not Me.” Once the group disbanded she settled in England, where she cut several singles before issuing two closely titled albums in 1971. The stronger of the pair, Hightower, fused rock, soul, and folk-rock through contributions from session players Rick Grech, Harold McNair, Jim Price, and Bobby Keys. Its counterpart, Rosetta Hightower, though expertly performed, consisted mainly of Motown covers instead of original material that might have carved out a distinct solo identity. Both LPs later appeared on CD, supplemented by bonus tracks taken from her late-1960s and early-1970s U.K. singles. Hightower died in London in 2014 at age seventy.