Marva Whitney dies at 68

Marva Whitney - Facebook

Singer Marva Whitney, nicknamed by collaborator James Brown “Soul Sister Number 1″, has died after suffering complications from pneumonia.

According to an announcement on her Facebook page, Whitney, born Marva Ann Manning, passed away on Saturday, Dec. 22.

Whitney started her career with her family gospel group ‘The Manning Gospel Singers.’ She toured with James Brown in the 60s, including trips to Vietnam. 

Whitney is best known for her version of “It’s My Thing,” which cracked the Hot 100 in 1969. Her track “Unwind Yourself” was also sampled several times.

Read more about Whitney: New York Times.