She inspired songsLeon Russell wrote A Song for You and Delta Lady for her; Stephen Stills wrote Cherokee. She co-wrote songsSuperstar and, uncredited, the piano coda to Layla. She sang backup for Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, and Stephen Stills before finding fame as a solo artist with such hits as Were All Alone and (Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher.A muse to some of the twentieth centurys most influential rock musicians, Rita Coolidge broke hearts and broke up bands. Her relationship with drummer Jim Gordon took a violent turn during Cockers legendary 1970 Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour; David Crosby maintained that her love triangle with Stills and Graham Nash was the last straw for the group; and her volatile six-year marriage to Kris Kristofferson yielded two Grammys, a daughter, and one of the baby boom generations epic love stories.
Through it all, her strength, resilience, and inner and outer beauty helped her to not only survive but also to thrive. Delta Lady offers a front-row seat to an iconic era and illuminates the life of an artist whose career has helped shape modern American culture.