Barbara โLady Loveโ Mason is a popular singer/songwriter and one of the true pioneers of Philly Soul, as she entered the music scene as a teenager. Mason was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 9, 1947, to a homemaker mother and a father who worked for the Philadelphia water department.
At the age of 12 Mason was the lead singer in groups she formed after winning local talent shows. She lived next door to Bill Oxendine, a member of the Larks who in turn introduced her to Weldon Arthur McDougal III, a record label executive. McDougal then introduced Mason to Jimmy Bishop, a local DJ and founder of Arctic Records. Bishop signed Mason to his Arctic Record Co. and released her debut single โTrouble Childโ before she was 15.
In 1964 at the age of 17, Mason released โCome to Me/Girls Have Feelings Tooโ which was a moderate success. In 1965, 18-year-old Mason recorded โYes Iโm Readyโ which became her first hit, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart, No. 3 on US Cash Box Top 100, and No. 5 on US Billboard Hot 100. It even ranked at No. 12 on the Canadian Top Singles chart.
In October 1965 Masonโs second hit of the year, โSad, Sad Girl,โ peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard chart, followed in 1966 by โI Need Loveโ which peaked at No. 5. Her 1968 hit โOh, How It Hurtsโ peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard chart. In 1970 she released โRaindrops Keep Fallinโ on my Head/If You Knew Him Like I Do,โ which peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard pop chart.
Mason began recording with Buddah Records in 1972 and later that year released โBed and Board,โ which peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard chart, followed in 1973 by โGive Me Your Loveโ which peaked at No. 9 and โChild of Tomorrowโ which peaked at No. 79 on the Billboard R&B chart. Masonโs two 1975 releases, โFrom His Woman to Youโ and โShackinโ Upโ peaked at No. 3 and No. 9 respectively on the Billboard R&B chart. Three years later, โI Am Your Woman, She is Your Wifeโ peaked at No. 14.
In 1980 Mason signed with WMOT Records (We Men of Talent) and the following year released two singles: โI Never Love the Same Way Twiceโ and โSheโs Got Papers, But I Got the Man.โ It was clear, however, that her success was waning. She formed her own publishing company, Marc James Music, named after her son, but shortly afterward left the record industry.
In 1992 producer Alan Beck invited Mason to sing at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Following that stellar performance Mason began to do periodic performances. In 2007 she released โFeeling Blueโ and two years later, โThe Soft Touch,โ both on the Sunswept Music label.
Mason was still performing to sold-out audiences in 2016; that year she was part of a โLegends of Soulโ concert, and in 2018 she headlined a โForever Oldies Tour,โ both at the Terrace Theater in Long Beach, California. Mason was inducted into the Soul Music Hall of Fame on March 1, 2016.
