Sugar Pie DeSanto

Umpeylia Marsema Balinton, known as Sugar Pie DeSanto, was a diminutive (four foot eleven) but powerfully-voiced R&B and blues singer who recorded for Chess/Checker Records in the 1960s. Born in Brooklyn and raised in San Francisco, she was discovered by Johnny Otis and became known for her dynamic stage presence: doing flips, splits, and cartwheels during performances. Her recordings 'I Want to Know,' 'Soulful Dress' (a duet with Etta James), and 'Use What You Got' were regional hits, and she was a popular live performer on the West Coast blues circuit for decades.