02/05/2026
Did you know that songwriter Jessie Mae Booker was a descendant of Shankleville? Jessie Mae Booker was born in Call, Newton County, Texas, and raised in Los Angeles. She is a descendant of Wesley Tobe Perkins, son of Winnie and stepson of Jim, through his daughter Gertha Perkins. Jessie began writing songs as a teenager and later married Leonard Robinson. She launched her professional career by pitching songs to performers and publishers, with her first recording, “Mellow Man Blues,” performed by Dinah Washington in 1945. Booker quickly found success with Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson’s “Cleanhead Blues” (1946) and the R&B chart-topping hit “Old Maid Boogie” (1947).
Over the next several years, Booker became one of the most influential songwriters in rhythm and blues, penning hits such as “In the Middle of the Night,” “Roomin’ House Boogie,” and “Tears, Tears, Tears” for Amos Milburn; “Blue Light Boogie” for Louis Jordan; and Charles Brown’s number-one hit “Black Night,” followed by “Seven Long Days.”
In 1952, her song “I Went to Your Wedding” became a major crossover success, reaching number one on the pop charts in a recording by Patti Page and helping Booker break racial barriers in the music industry. She went on to write pop hits for Jo Stafford, Frankie Laine, and Elvis Presley, including the enduring favorite “Let’s Have a Party.”
One of her final chart successes, “The Other Woman,” was recorded by Sarah Vaughan and later reimagined by artists across generations, including Nina Simone, Jeff Buckley, and Lana Del Rey—underscoring the lasting reach of her work. Jessie Mae Booker died in Los Angeles in October 1966 at the age of 48, leaving behind a powerful musical legacy that continues to resonate.
