Jodi Mathis aka Mortonette Jenkins

[Soulstrutter]

I've been researching Sharon McMahan and looking at songs she's written that have been recorded by others and one of these is a track on Benny Golson's 1978 album 'I'm Always Dancin' To The Music' - 'Love Is The Key'.  I liked the female vocal so looked further into it and discovered it was a singer called Mortonette Jenkins who it turns out is none other than Jodi Mathis of You Don't Care Anymore / Mama fame.  It also turns out that she was also on backing and lead vocals on his previous album in 1977 'Killer Joe' which includes 'New Killer Joe' track which was played back in the day.  It transpires that the lead vocals on that is also Mortonette Jenkins/Jodi Mathis.  Curiously, also, in the week that Gerry Marsden died I found a clip of her singing .... guess what ... 'You'll Never Walk Alone' which I'd thought I'd share the link for anyone that's interested. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0--kCTIph8

She now uses the name Mortonette Stephens and appeared on a compilation album in 2009 with a track called Magic Walk which is also on YT. It's good to see that she was active after her Capitol 45 and was still active in 2020, as if you put Mortonette into YT search a few videos posted this year come up - she is now Rev Dr Mortonette Stephens. 

UPDATE:

Digging deeper she was an in demand session singer from mid 70s and appeared on 2 tracks on Michael Jackson's Off The Wall album 'Don't Stop' & 'Get On The Floor' as well as Quincy Jones 'I Heard That' LP, Nancy Wilson, Brothers Johnson, Chuck Jackson, Chck Cissel, Norman Connors, Paul Anka, Elton John and many others (check her credits on Discogs) and has also appeard in a couple of movies. ... so the NS scene 'made her' 

Edited January 13, 2021 by Soulstrutter

[Tomangoes]

It was a privilege to hear her sing at the LV 2018 gig.

There was a thread here about her.

Ed

[Goldsoul]

Mortonette is a dear friend who appeared for us at Soultripusa 2018 in Vegas. She performed Don’t You Care Anymore with Sonny Turner’s band. 
She spent most of her career as lead backing vocalist for Paul Anka. 
I spoke to her two weeks ago and she’s doing fine living in Nevada

Edited January 8, 2021 by Goldsoul

[Micksmix]

10 hours ago, Goldsoul said:

Mortonette is a dear friend who appeared for us at Soultripusa 2018 in Vegas. She performed Don’t You Care Anymore with Sonny Turner’s band. 
She spent most of her career as lead backing vocalist for Paul Anka. 
I spoke to her two weeks ago and she’s doing fine living in Nevada

She looks amazing "don't you care anymore" a personal big fave from the early years at Wigan