PP Arnold was born Patricia Ann Cole on 3 October 1946 in the South Central area of Los Angeles (then known as Watts).
She joined the Ike and Tina Turner Revue in the mid-1960s as one of The Ikettes and sang backing vocals on the classic River Deep Mountain High.
After several years touring the United States she travelled to England in 1966 when the Revue toured there in support of The Rolling Stones.
Impressed by her powerful and soulful voice, Mick Jagger convinced Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham to sign Arnold to a recording contract with his newly founded Immediate Records record label.
Arnold quit the Turner band to remain in London and establish a solo career.
Her first single, Everything’s Gonna Be Alright, failed to chart but she hit the jackpot with the Cat Stevens composition, The First Cut is the Deepest.
In 1967, Keith Emerson formed The Nice as Arnold’s backing band, although the band soon found success in their own right.
