Eva Narcissus Boyd (June 29, 1943 – April 10, 2003), known by the stage name of Little Eva (after a character from Uncle Tom's Cabin), was an American singer.
Biography
Born in North Carolina, she moved to the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, New York at a young age. As a teenager, she worked as a maid and earned extra money as a babysitter for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Amused by Boyd's individual dancing style, they wrote "The Loco-Motion" for her and had her record it as a demo (the record was intended for Dee Dee Sharp). Music producer Don Kirshner was impressed by the song and Boyd's voice and had it released just the way it was. The song became an instant smash, reaching #1 in the United States in 1962. The two songwriters also wrote the song "He Hit Me ", performed by The Crystals, after Boyd revealed that her boyfriend regularly beat her. When asked why she put up with it, she replied that it showed that he loved her.After the success of "The Loco-Mo
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little Eva