Jean Knight, Soul Singer Who Had Hit With ‘Mr. Big Stuff,’ Dies at 80

Jean Knight

According to news reports, Jean Knight, a New Orleans-born soul singer known for her 1971 hit “Mr. Big Stuff,” has died at 80.

Family, friends, fans and veterans of the music world mourned the loss of the Grammy-nominated singer who was considered a musical powerhouse and an integral part of New Orleans’ cultural legacy.

Knight died November 22nd, of natural causes in Tampa, Florida, where she was living, said family representative Mona Giamanco.

“Jean Knight’s legacy is not just a musical one; it is a testament to the enduring love between an artist, her hometown and the fans who adored her,” the singer’s family said in a statement.Knight got her start by singing in her cousin’s New Orleans bar shortly after graduating from high school. In the early ‘70s she recorded “Mr. Big Stuff” — a sassy and soulful chart-topping anthem that became known for the infectious refrain of “Who do you think you are?”

The song reached No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B chart and No. 2 on the Billboard 200 pop chart, earning Knight a Grammy nomination for best female R&B vocal performance in 1972. The Stax Museum of American Soul Music said in a news release that Knight was Stax Records’ top-selling female artist.

Following the success of “Mr. Big Stuff,” Knight went on to record several more albums — including ones that featured songs “(Don’t Mess With) My Toot Toot” and “Bill” — and formed her own label, Comstar.